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decide
/dɪˈsaɪd/
make a choice
She couldn't decide what to eat for dinner.
She was unable to choose between the options available.
neutral
to make a choice or judgment after considering options
After much thought, he decided to accept the job offer.
He made a deliberate choice to take the position.
The committee will decide the winner by next week.
The committee will make a judgment on who wins.
Used for both personal choices and formal decisions. Often followed by 'to' + infinitive or a clause.
neutral
to cause someone to reach a conclusion or judgment
The evidence decided the case in favor of the defendant.
The evidence led the court to rule for the defendant.
More formal, often used in legal or analytical contexts.
Collocations
decide onchoose a specific option from available choicesdecide tochoose to do somethingdecide betweenchoose one of two or more optionsdecide againstchoose not to do somethingdecide formake a judgment in favor of someone/something
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Prepositions matter
Use 'decide on' for choices among options (e.g., 'decide on a restaurant'), and 'decide to' for actions (e.g., 'decide to go').
Gold Rule
Avoid overusing 'decide'
In formal writing, prefer 'determine' or 'resolve' for analytical contexts (e.g., 'The study determined the cause').
Word Origin
From Latin *decidere* 'to cut off, decide' (from *de-* 'off' + *caedere* 'to cut'), via Old French *decider*. The sense of 'making a choice' emerged in Middle English.
Usage Notes
The verb is transitive when followed by a noun/pronoun (e.g., 'decide the issue') or intransitive when followed by a clause (e.g., 'decide that...'). Common in both everyday and formal contexts.
Word Breakdown
de-
off, away from
prefix-cide
to cut, kill
rootEnglish Dictionary