decisive
adjective
de·ci·sive
di-ˈsī-siv 
1
: having the power or quality of deciding
The council president cast the decisive vote.
a decisive battle
2
: resolute, determined
a decisive manner
decisive leaders
a decisive editor
3
: unmistakable, unquestionable
a decisive superiority
decisively
adverb
decisiveness
noun
Examples of decisive in a Sentence
You must be decisive and persistent to succeed in this competitive field.
I stood there wondering what to do, but my sister was more decisive and immediately went to the phone.
The fight ended with a decisive blow.
the decisive battle of the war
The poverty of his childhood played a decisive role in his adult life.
The meeting is seen as a decisive step toward a peace treaty.
Recent Examples on the Web
Under no pressure, Robinson is able to find Iwobi’s run behind the defence, and this attack leads to the corner from which Fulham scored their decisive third goal.
—
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
And the notion that the administration’s allies in Silicon Valley can quickly produce large numbers of nimble, affordable, and lethal next generation weapons that will give America a decisive edge should be treated with a large grain of salt.
—William Hartung, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Back-to-back baskets by DeRozan sparked a decisive 9-0 run that put the Kings up 122-112 with 2:17 to play.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2025
The company has a great brand and excellent products, but now is the time for decisive execution and communications to get the stock moving again.
—Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decisive
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Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
And the notion that the administration’s allies in Silicon Valley can quickly produce large numbers of nimble, affordable, and lethal next generation weapons that will give America a decisive edge should be treated with a large grain of salt.
—William Hartung, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Back-to-back baskets by DeRozan sparked a decisive 9-0 run that put the Kings up 122-112 with 2:17 to play.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2025
The company has a great brand and excellent products, but now is the time for decisive execution and communications to get the stock moving again.
—Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decisive
Cite this Entry
“Decisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decisive. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decisive
adjective
de·ci·sive
di-ˈsī-siv
1
: having the power to decide
the decisive vote
2
: unmistakable, unquestionable
a decisive victory
3
: marked by or showing decision
a decisive manner
decisively
adverb
decisiveness
noun
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