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
In the decisive third set, Sabalenka double-faulted to give Gauff a break for 2-1.
Gauff led 3-1 and had break points for 4-1 but Sabalenka held and then broke for 3-all.
—
Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
The next debate, in which the top-performing candidates face off, may prove to be more decisive.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 5 June 2025
In the seventh, San Francisco landed its decisive blow.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 5 June 2025
On June 3, Lee Jae-myung won South Korea’s presidential election by a decisive margin.
—John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for decisive
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Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
The next debate, in which the top-performing candidates face off, may prove to be more decisive.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 5 June 2025
In the seventh, San Francisco landed its decisive blow.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 5 June 2025
On June 3, Lee Jae-myung won South Korea’s presidential election by a decisive margin.
—John Delury, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 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 10 Jun. 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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