as in determinative
providing or controlling a final outcome
The fact that she committed a crime is not dispositive of her claim that the police used excessive force in arresting her.
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Recent Examples of dispositive
In transactions with foreign capital participation, these questions can become dispositive.
—
Alexandrine Armstrong-Cerfontaine, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2025
However, and most importantly, no one should be deported or kept in custody without a neutral hearing for a dispositive decision to be reached, with legal counsel being made available to represent them.
—James P. Gray, Oc Register, 1 Nov. 2025
Fitzgerald proposed a schedule that includes filing dispositive motions by October 20 and briefs by November 20.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
So, barring any change the husband’s dispositive plan is undermined and his children will only receive about $7 million initially.
—Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispositive
Alexandrine Armstrong-Cerfontaine, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2025
However, and most importantly, no one should be deported or kept in custody without a neutral hearing for a dispositive decision to be reached, with legal counsel being made available to represent them.
—James P. Gray, Oc Register, 1 Nov. 2025
Fitzgerald proposed a schedule that includes filing dispositive motions by October 20 and briefs by November 20.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
So, barring any change the husband’s dispositive plan is undermined and his children will only receive about $7 million initially.
—Martin Shenkman, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dispositive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispositive
Adjective
-
For them, flexibility is often valued but not determinative; a return-to-office mandate may be an inconvenience rather than a constraint.—
Subha Barry,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Trump’s endorsement was helpful but not determinative.—
Joe Garofoli,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Plants tend to grow taller than determinate types and are commonly pruned to maintain a single central stem.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
-
Compassionate release emerged from the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, a statute better known for eliminating parole and ushering in the modern era of determinate sentencing.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
The incentive is clear for Mexico, as the group winner will play the next two knockout rounds at Azteca Stadium, where El Tri has never lost a World Cup match.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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What’s clear is that each of my friends is watching a different movie about AI inside their head, telling themselves a different story and living in a different reality.—
Nancy Colier,
Baltimore Sun,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
However, a three-judge panel selected for a legal assessment of the findings found that the investigation was not conclusive enough.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 June 2026
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Bartošák-Harlow said there's no conclusive evidence of who has and who has not paid a toll in the past, and there wasn't any sort of record, adding that companies should not be paying a toll for passage through an international waterway.—
Tom Bowman,
NPR,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispositive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispositive. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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