DECISIVE Synonyms: 157 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'decisive' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of decisive are conclusive , definitive , and determinative . While all these words mean "bringing to an end," decisive may apply to something that ends a controversy, a contest, or any uncertainty. // a decisive battle

Q: When is 'conclusive' a more appropriate choice than 'decisive'?

In some situations, the words conclusive and decisive are roughly equivalent. However, conclusive applies to reasoning or logical proof that puts an end to debate or questioning. // conclusive evidence

Q: When can 'definitive' be used instead of 'decisive'?

The words definitive and decisive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, definitive applies to what is put forth as final and permanent. // the definitive biography

Q: When is it sensible to use 'determinative' instead of 'decisive'?

The meanings of determinative and decisive largely overlap; however, determinative adds an implication of giving a fixed character or direction. // the determinative factor in the court's decision

decisive

adjective

di-ˈsī-siv

Definition of decisive next

as in resolute

fully committed to achieving a goal only a team with a decisive attitude is going to win a state championship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in conclusive

having the power to persuade a lawyer who knows how to construct the kind of decisive argument that sways a jury

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in definitive

serving to put an end to all debate or questioning the decisive finding of the coroner regarding the cause of death

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word decisive different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of decisive are conclusive, definitive, and determinative. While all these words mean "bringing to an end," decisive may apply to something that ends a controversy, a contest, or any uncertainty.

a decisive battle

When is conclusive a more appropriate choice than decisive?

In some situations, the words conclusive and decisive are roughly equivalent. However, conclusive applies to reasoning or logical proof that puts an end to debate or questioning.

conclusive evidence

When can definitive be used instead of decisive?

The words definitive and decisive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, definitive applies to what is put forth as final and permanent.

the definitive biography

When is it sensible to use determinative instead of decisive?

The meanings of determinative and decisive largely overlap; however, determinative adds an implication of giving a fixed character or direction.

the determinative factor in the court's decision

Examples Sentences

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Recent Examples of decisive But after driving most of the field in less than a minute, USC was forced into another decisive fourth-down. —

Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024 You’re used to being decisive, but this transit could leave you feeling stretched too thin. —

Valerie Mesa, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024 This election will further clarify that landscape, and potentially be decisive in contests further up the ballot by driving turnout. —

Ali Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Nov. 2024 Although Musiala scored the decisive goal to secure Bayern the 2023 Bundesliga title, the attacking midfielder has sometimes struggled to score consistently. —

Manuel Veth, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for decisive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decisive

Adjective

Company leaders nominally accepted the resolute reformulation, but still accepted their nation’s long-standing conventions.

Michael Useem, Fortune Asia, 24 Oct. 2024
Meanwhile, in the work of the list’s four Arizona firms, the state’s sublime tradition of Desert Modernism, solidified most notably throughout Phoenix in the 1950s in the single-family work of Alfred Beadle, continues statewide with resolute spiritedness.

Richard Olsen, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024