Meaning & use
decision-making
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The process of choosing between options, especially in business, politics, or groups.
Grammar: Uncountable: no plural. Use 'the decision-making' or 'decision-making' without 'a'.
Patterns
- decision-making process
- decision-making skills
- participate in decision-making
- involve someone in decision-making
Good decision-making requires clear information and careful thought.
The company changed its decision-making process to include more employees.
She took a course on decision-making in business.
adjectivebefore a noun
Relating to the process of making decisions.
Grammar: Used before a noun: decision-making body, decision-making power.
Patterns
- decision-making body
- decision-making power
- decision-making role
The board is the main decision-making body in the organization.
Managers have decision-making power over budgets.
Common combinations
- decision-making process
- The decision-making process should be transparent.
- decision-making skills
- Children develop decision-making skills through practice.
- involve someone in decision-making
- The manager involved the team in decision-making.
- participate in decision-making
- All members can participate in decision-making.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: decision-making or decision making?
decision-making vs decision making
Same meaning; the unhyphenated form is common in American English.
Practice
The committee is the main ______ body in the organization.
Choose one answer.
'Decision-making' is the correct compound adjective before 'body'. 'Decide' is a verb, 'decision' is a noun, and 'decisive' means able to make decisions quickly, which does not fit here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “decision-making”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.