Meaning & use

decisive

adjective·Academic

Able to make decisions quickly and confidently, without unnecessary hesitation or doubt.

See it in a sentence

A good leader needs to be decisive, especially when time is short during a crisis.

She made a decisive choice to leave her job and start her own business.

A note on using this word

Decisive describes a person's manner of choosing; a related but distinct sense describes an outcome that settles a matter conclusively, as in a decisive victory.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. adjective

Producing a definite and conclusive result that settles a contest or issue.

The team's decisive victory in the final match ended any doubt about the champion.

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