decisive
Americanadjective
-
having the power or quality of deciding; putting an end to controversy; crucial or most important.
Your argument was the decisive one.
- Synonyms:
- final, conclusive
-
characterized by or displaying no or little hesitation; resolute; determined.
The general was known for his decisive manner.
- Synonyms:
- firm
-
a decisive defeat.
-
unsurpassable; commanding.
a decisive lead in the voting.
adjective
-
influential; conclusive
a decisive argument
-
characterized by the ability to make decisions, esp quickly; resolute
Other Word Forms
- decisively adverb
- decisiveness noun
- nondecisive adjective
- predecisive adjective
Etymology
Origin of decisive
First recorded in 1605–15; from Medieval Latin dēcīsīvus, equivalent to Latin dēcīs(us) ( decision ) + -īvus adjective suffix ( -ive )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I congratulate our armed forces on their professional and decisive conduct during tonight's successful operation, and thank our French partners for providing essential support," Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever wrote on social media.
From Barron's
The law is "not the final word" but rather a "decisive starting point", Vietnam-based LNT & Partners law firm said in an analysis on its website.
From Barron's
But beyond launching the investigation, Harvard took no decisive action to discipline or sanction Summers.
From Salon
It proved decisive as Lewis Martin's late try for Hull set up a tense finale, but York stood firm in their final defensive set and climb to third in the early season standings.
From BBC
While this was more the final step in a drawn-out, painful process of separation than the decisive blow, “everyone was saying I broke up the Beatles,” he says in the documentary.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
