Meanings
adjectivedecisive (comparative more decisive, superlative most decisive)
comparative more decisive · superlative most decisive
- Having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy; putting an end to contest or controversy; final; conclusive.
decisive vote
2 more examples
decisive battle
In truth, Tottenham never really looked like taking all three points and this defeat means they face a battle to reach the knockout stages -with their next home game against PAOK Salonika on 30 November likely to prove decisive.
2011 November 3, Chris Bevan, “Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport - Decided; definite; incontrovertible.
decisive victory
1 more example
[F]abulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: […]
1949, Joseph Campbell, “The Hero and the God”, in The Hero with a Thousand Faces - Marked by promptness and decision, resolute; without hesitation.
decisive action
2 more examples
a decisive person
A noble instance of this attribute of the decisive character.
1804, John Foster, Essays, in a Series of Letters
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
Opposite
adjectivedetermining or having the power to determine an outcome
Opposite
adjectiveunmistakable
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Frenchdécisif
- Englishdecisive
From Middle French décisif, equivalent to decide + -ive.
More words from Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek κρίσιμος
- κρίσιμος (krísimos)having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
Arabic حاسم, حاسمة
- حاسم (ḥāsim)having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- حاسمة (ḥāsima)having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
Bulgarian решаващ, решителен
- решаващ (rešavašt)having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- решителен (rešitelen)marked by promptness and decision
Catalan decisiu, decisiu
- decisiuhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- decisiumarked by promptness and decision
Chinese Mandarin 決定性的 /决定性的, 蓋棺定論的 /盖棺定论的
- 決定性的 /决定性的 (juédìngxìng de)having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- 蓋棺定論的 /盖棺定论的 (gàiguāndìnglùn de)having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- 果斷 /果断 (guǒduàn)marked by promptness and decision
Czech rozhodující, směrodatný
- rozhodujícíhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- směrodatnýhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- rozhodnýmarked by promptness and decision
Danish afgørende, beslutsom
- afgørendehaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- beslutsommarked by promptness and decision
Dutch beslissend, afdoend
- beslissendhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- afdoendhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- doorslaggevendhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- besluitvaardigmarked by promptness and decision
- beslistmarked by promptness and decision
Finnish ratkaiseva, päättäväinen
- ratkaisevahaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- päättäväinenmarked by promptness and decision
French décisif, ferme
- décisifhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- fermemarked by promptness and decision
- décidémarked by promptness and decision
German entscheidend, ausschlaggebend
- entscheidendhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- ausschlaggebendhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- entschlussfreudigmarked by promptness and decision
- entschlossenmarked by promptness and decision
Greek αποφασιστικός, αποφασιστικός
- αποφασιστικός (apofasistikós)having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- αποφασιστικός (apofasistikós)marked by promptness and decision
Hebrew החלטי
- החלטי (hekhlet'y)having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
Hindi निश्चयार्थक, निर्णायक
- निश्चयार्थक (niścayārthak)having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- निर्णायक (nirṇāyak)having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- निश्चयार्थक (niścayārthak)marked by promptness and decision
- निर्णायक (nirṇāyak)marked by promptness and decision
Hungarian döntő, mérvadó
- döntőhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- mérvadóhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
Irish cinntitheach, cinniúnach
- cinntitheachhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- cinniúnachhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
Italian decisivo, determinante
- decisivohaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- determinantehaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- sostanzialehaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- decisivomarked by promptness and decision
- decisomarked by promptness and decision
Latvian izšķirošs
- izšķirošshaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
Persian تعیینکننده
- تعیینکنندهhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
Polish decydujący, przesądzający
- decydującyhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- przesądzającyhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- rozsądzającyhaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- stanowczymarked by promptness and decision
- zdecydowanymarked by promptness and decision
- bezapelacyjnymarked by promptness and decision
Portuguese decisivo, decidido
- decisivohaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- decididomarked by promptness and decision
Russian решающий, реши́тельный
- решающий (rešajuščij)having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- реши́тельный (rešítelʹnyj)marked by promptness and decision
Spanish decisivo
- decisivohaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
Swedish avgörande, utslagsgivande
- avgörandehaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- utslagsgivandehaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- bestämmandehaving the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- beslutsammarked by promptness and decision
- fastmarked by promptness and decision
- resolutmarked by promptness and decision
- bestämdmarked by promptness and decision
Ukrainian виріша́льний, рішу́чий
- виріша́льний (vyrišálʹnyj)having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy
- рішу́чий (rišúčyj)marked by promptness and decision
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with decisive
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
decisive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decisive
MLA
“decisive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decisive. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “decisive,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decisive.
Source: decisive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.