verb
decide
dih-SYD
verb
1
To make a choice or judgment after thinking something over.
"We decided to postpone the trip until next spring."
"It took her weeks to decide which university to attend."
2
To settle or determine the outcome of something, such as a dispute or contest.
"A single penalty kick decided the match."
How to Use Decide
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo choose between options, or to settle how something will turn out.
Common pairings
decide to do something
decide on
decide against
decide the outcome
Word Forms
decided past tense, decide plural, decided plural, decides singular, decide singular, decided singular, decidest singular, decideth singular, decidedst singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “decide”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
We _____ to postpone the trip until next spring.
Etymology
From Latin decidere, "to cut off, settle" — from de- ("off") + caedere ("to cut").