Decisive — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Decisive (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. fully committed to achieving a goal

   "only a team with a decisive attitude is going to win a state championship"

   similar: bent (on or upon), bound, determined, do-or-die, firm, hell-bent (on or upon), intent, out, purposeful, resolute, resolved, set, single-minded, on one's mettle
   related: bitter, vehement, certain, cocksure, confident, positive, sure, earnest, serious, steady, unfaltering, unhesitating, unswerving, unwavering, adamant, adamantine, dogged, hard, hardened, hardheaded, headstrong, immovable, implacable, inflexible, mulish, obdurate, persistent, pertinacious, perverse, pigheaded, rigid, self-willed, stubborn, tenacious, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful
   opposite: faltering, hesitant, indecisive, irresolute, undetermined, unresolved, vacillating, wavering, weak-kneed
   near: distrustful, doubtful, dubious, mistrustful, skeptical, suspicious, uncertain, unconvinced, undecided, unsettled, unsure, disinclined, indisposed, loath, reluctant

2. having the power to persuade

   "a lawyer who knows how to construct the kind of decisive argument that sways a jury"

   similar: cogent, compelling, conclusive, convincing, effective, forceful, persuasive, satisfying, strong, telling
   related: authoritative, definitive, sound, valid, well-founded, important, significant, weighty, material, pertinent, relevant
   opposite: inconclusive, indecisive, ineffective, uncompelling, unconvincing, unpersuasive
   near: groundless, invalid, shaky, unfounded, unsound, inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant, immaterial, irrelevant, feeble, weak

3. serving to put an end to all debate or questioning

   "the decisive finding of the coroner regarding the cause of death"

   similar: absolute, clear, conclusive, deciding, definitive, last
   related: determinate, determinative, dispositive, hands-down, inarguable, incontestable, incontrovertible, indisputable, indubitable, irrefutable, unanswerable, undebatable, undeniable, undisputable, unquestionable, unchallenged, uncontested, undisputed, unambiguous, unequivocal, certain, definite, positive, sure, cogent, compelling, convincing, persuasive, telling
   opposite: inconclusive, indecisive, unclear
   near: debatable, disputable, doubtable, doubtful, moot, problematic, questionable, refutable, ambiguous, equivocal, controversial, debated, disputed