decideverb
uk/dɪˈsaɪd/us/dɪˈsaɪd/A2 [ I or T ] 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.
The committee decided in favour of (= made a formal judgment to choose) the cheapest option.
C2 [ T ] 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).
More examples
- The jury has to decide whether a person is guilty or innocent of a crime.
- Stand the paintings against the wall while we decide where to hang them.
- They decided to move abroad and make a fresh start.
- After a gap of five years, Jennifer decided to go back to work full-time.
- Have you decided where you're going for your holiday this year?
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Decisions and deciding
- be make or break for sb/sth idiom
- be on the horns of a dilemma idiom
- clinch
- clincher
- come down on one side of the fence or the other idiom
- come to sth
- decider
- fight
- hammer sth out
- head
- it's a date idiom
- lot
- make or break sth idiom
- make up your mind idiom
- mind
- name
- name the day idiom
- plunge
- spin a coin idiom
- toss
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Phrasal verb(s)
decide on sth/sb