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decision

di-SIZH-uhn/dɪˈsɪʒən/

Pluraldecisions

6 meanings of decision

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  1. 1
    what was chosennouncountable
    A choice or judgment that a person reaches.

    The committee's decision to fund the project surprised everyone.

    Her decision about the job offer took weeks of soul-searching.

    UsageYou make or reach a decision (not incorrect: do a decision), often followed by to + verb: a decision to leave.

    Similarchoice, judgment, conclusion, ruling, verdict

  2. 2
    act of judgingnouncountable or uncountable
    The act or process of deciding something.

    Endless committee meetings slowed the decision, and the bridge repairs were pushed back another year.

    He stood at the trailhead, the moment of decision upon him.

    UsageCommon in the moment of decision and in decision-making, the process of deciding.

  3. 3
    nouncountable or uncountable
    In boxing and other combat sports, a result determined by the judges' scores, usually after a bout goes its full length.

    After twelve grueling rounds, the title fight went to a decision.

    She won a unanimous decision over the hometown favorite.

    UsageA fighter wins by decision rather than by knockout, and a fight goes to a decision: unanimous, split or majority.

    Note

    Ringside vocabulary: a bout that reaches its scheduled limit without a knockout or stoppage is settled on the judges' scorecards. Decisions are graded by how the cards agree: unanimous, split or majority. The noun also gave rise to a verb for winning this way.

Less common meanings

  1. 4
    firmnessnoununcountable
    Firmness of conviction or purpose; the quality of being resolute.

    For weeks he had wavered, but now he spoke with a calm decision that silenced the room.

    The crisis demanded decision, and the new director supplied it.

    UsageUsually after with: act with decision, speak with decision; also a person of decision.

    Similarresolve, determination, firmness, resolution

    Oppositeindecision, hesitation, irresolution

    Note

    Read it as a near relative of resolve: to act with decision is not to have made a particular choice but to carry one through without wavering.

  2. 5
    pitcher's recordnouncountable
    In baseball, a win or a loss credited to a pitcher's record for a game.

    The ace left with the lead but ended up with no decision after the bullpen faltered.

    All five of his decisions this year have been wins.

    Note

    Baseball scoring normally credits one pitcher on the winning side with the win and charges one on the losing side with the loss; each is that pitcher's decision. The loss goes to the pitcher charged with the go-ahead run when that lead is never given back. A starter who gets neither, because the game turned after he left or he pitched too few innings to earn the win, has a no-decision, so a record can show fewer decisions than starts.

  3. 6
    beat on pointsverbtransitive
    To defeat an opponent on the judges' scorecards rather than by a knockout.

    Most analysts expect the challenger to decision the aging champion over twelve rounds.

    He decisioned a tough southpaw in his first title defense.

    UsageForms are regular (decisioned, decisioning); outside fight reporting, win by decision is the safer choice.

    Similaroutpoint, beat, defeat

Practice

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Origin

The word came into English from Middle French, which took it from Latin dēcīsiō (dēcīsiōnis), formed from dēcīdō, meaning "to decide."

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 4 facts