decide

5 definitions • 15 examples

to choose something, especially after thinking carefully about several possibilities:

They have to decide by next Friday.

It doesn't matter to me which one we have - you decide.

[ + to infinitive ] In the end, we decided to go to the theatre.

[ + (that) ] She decided (that) she would travel to India.

[ + question word ] I can't decide what to do.

He can't decide whether to buy it.

decide in favour of The committee decided in favour of (= made a formal judgment to choose) the cheapest option.

to be the reason or situation that makes a particular result happen:

The weather decided the outcome of the tennis match.

Tim's mistake decided the game (= caused him to lose).

to choose between one possibility or another:

[ T ] I decided I would try it.

[ + to infinitive ] In the end, we decided to go to the theater.

[ + question word ] We’re trying to decide how to proceed.

[ + (that) clause ] He decided (that) it was his business.

If something decides a result in a competition, it causes that result:

[ T ] A mistake by our team decided the game against us.

A deciding factor is something so important that it forces a particular decision:

The deciding factor in choosing this school was that it was far from home.