decision

[dih-sizh-uhn]

noun

1. the act or process of deciding; deciding; determination, as of a question or doubt, by making a judgment.

   They must make a decision between these two contestants.

2. the act of or need for making up one's mind.

   This is a difficult decision.

3. something that is decided; decided; resolution.

   She made a poor decision when she dropped out of school.

4. a judgment, as one formally pronounced by a court.

   It is the decision of this court that the appeal is granted.

   Synonyms: decree, finding, verdict, ruling

5. the quality of being decided; firmness.

   He spoke with decision and calm authority.

6. the final score in any sport or contest.

   The decision was 5 to 4 in favor of the home team.

7. Boxing.,  the awarding of a victory in a match not decided by a knockout or technical knockout, usually through a vote of the referee and judges.

verb (used with object)

1. Boxing.,  to win a victory over (one's opponent) by a point score rather than a knockout.

decision

/ dɪˈsɪʒən /

noun

1. a judgment, conclusion, or resolution reached or given; verdict

2. the act of making up one's mind

3. firmness of purpose or character; determination

Other Word Forms

• decisional adjective
• nondecision noun
• predecision noun
• redecision noun
• subdecision noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of decision¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English decisioun, from Middle French, from Latin dēcīsiōn-, stem of dēcīsiō “a cutting off,” equivalent to dēcīs(us) (past participle of dēcīdere “to cut off”; decide ) + -iō -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of decision¹

C15: from Old French, from Latin dēcīsiō, literally: a cutting off; see _decide

Example Sentences

It's that decision which has now been linked to the firing of the agency's new director in late August, only 29 days into the job.

From BBC

She felt that they took no real accountability for the pitfalls of their product, and was let down by their decision to continue selling it for two months despite doubts over its efficacy.

From BBC

Not long after that, he begins acting without sentimentality, making decisions on who or what has the best chances.

From Salon

The court’s decision came two days after the case was filed.

From Los Angeles Times

Created by an act of Parliament, it would need to be a UK government decision to bring the institution to an end.

From BBC

Related Words

• accord 
• agreement 
• arrangement 
• choice 
• compromise 
• determination 
• finding 
• judgment 
• opinion 
• outcome 
• resolution 
• result 
• ruling 
• selection 
• settlement 
• verdict