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v. de·cid·ed, de·cid·ing, de·cides v.tr. 1. a. To reach a conclusion or form a judgment or opinion about (something) by reasoning or consideration: decide what to do. b. To cause to make or reach a decision: "The presence of so many witnesses decided him at once to flee" (Robert Louis Stevenson). 2. To settle conclusively all contention or uncertainty about: decide a case; decided the dispute in favor of the workers. 3. To influence or determine the outcome of: A few votes decided the election. v.intr. 1. To pronounce a judgment; announce a verdict. 2. To reach a decision; make up one's mind. [Middle English deciden, from Old French decider, from Latin dēcīdere, to cut off, decide : dē-, de- + caedere, to cut; see kaə-id- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] de·cid·a·bili·ty n. de·cida·ble adj. de·cider n. Synonyms: decide, determine, settle, rule, conclude, resolve These verbs mean to come to a decision about. Decide has the broadest range: The judge will decide the case on its merits. We decided to postpone our vacation for a week. Determine has a similar range but often involves somewhat narrower issues: The doctor determined the cause of the infection. The jury will determine the fate of the defendant. Settle stresses finality of decision: "The lama waved a hand to show that the matter was finally settled in his mind" (Rudyard Kipling). Rule implies that the decision is handed down by someone in authority: The committee ruled that changes in the curriculum should be implemented. Conclude suggests that a decision, opinion, or judgment has been arrived at after careful consideration: She concluded that the criticism was unjust. Resolve stresses the exercise of choice in making a firm decision: I resolved to lose weight. |
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