decide
/dɪˈsaɪd/ verb
Forms decides deciding decided decidest decidedst decideth
- verb (ambitransitive) To resolve (a contest, problem, dispute, etc.); to choose, determine, or settle. “The election will be decided on foreign policies.”
- verb (intransitive) To make a judgment, especially after deliberation. “You must decide between good and evil.”
- verb (transitive) To cause someone to come to a decision. “Your admonition decided me against my intended course of action.”
- verb (computing theory) Of a Turing machine: to return a correct answer (for some yes-or-no problem) on every possible input. “No Turing Machine can decide the halting problem.”
- verb (obsolete) To cut off; to separate.
Synonyms
choose determine pick elect accept adopt appoint cast crave designate desire embrace espouse excerpt extract favor opt poll predestine preponderate make up one's mind settle resolve adjudicate
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English deciden, from Old French decider, from Latin dēcīdere, infinitive of dēcīdō (“cut off, decide”), from dē (“down from”) + caedō (“cut”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To cut off; to separate. [Obs.]
- verb To bring to a termination, as a question, controversy, struggle, by giving the victory to one side or party; to render judgment concerning; to determine; to settle.
- verb To determine; to form a definite opinion; to come to a conclusion; to give decision; as, the court decided in favor of the defendant.
Etymology [L. decidere; de- + caedere to cut, cut off; prob. akin to E. shed, v.: cf. F. décider. Cf. Decision.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “decide”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details