as in determination
firm or unwavering adherence to one's purpose
moved with speed and decisiveness in investigating the charges of the use of excessive force by the police
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Recent Examples of decisiveness
Adam Wharton, 22, is liked by people at United for his progressive passing and decisiveness on the ball.
—
Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
After all, confidence and decisiveness are hallmark traits of executive presence, a quality long sought by boards, taught at top business schools, and used at performance review time as a catch-all descriptor to either promote or shelve C-suite hopefuls.
—Harvard Business Review, 1 Apr. 2026
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, and the head of Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, have been models of clarity, calm, and decisiveness.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Beyond his onstage excellence, Grady runs our props department with remarkable effectiveness and decisiveness.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
The challenge is balancing decisiveness with collaboration, and speed with thoughtful input.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2026
Your decisiveness invites others to join you.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Quiet leaders know when restraint will serve the moment and when decisiveness is necessary.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
While Minshew could return, Reid could consider Marcus Mariota, who started eight games for the Washington Commanders in 2025 and has the mobility and decisiveness Reid likes in a quarterback.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026
Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026
After all, confidence and decisiveness are hallmark traits of executive presence, a quality long sought by boards, taught at top business schools, and used at performance review time as a catch-all descriptor to either promote or shelve C-suite hopefuls.
—Harvard Business Review, 1 Apr. 2026
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, and the head of Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, have been models of clarity, calm, and decisiveness.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Beyond his onstage excellence, Grady runs our props department with remarkable effectiveness and decisiveness.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
The challenge is balancing decisiveness with collaboration, and speed with thoughtful input.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2026
Your decisiveness invites others to join you.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2026
Quiet leaders know when restraint will serve the moment and when decisiveness is necessary.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
While Minshew could return, Reid could consider Marcus Mariota, who started eight games for the Washington Commanders in 2025 and has the mobility and decisiveness Reid likes in a quarterback.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decisiveness
Noun
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And many of the court’s six conservative justices seemed sympathetic to the Justice Department’s argument that the law bars courts from reviewing those determinations.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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The determination means Lane will be the show’s only potential leading performer in this year’s Tony race.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While Saudi Arabia and OPEC had no immediate reaction, Emirati Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei insisted his country’s decision did not stem from any dispute with its Gulf neighbor.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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This is basically every aerophobic flier’s worst nightmare, and Harlin does a solid job of maintaining the fear factor and shock right up to the moment of Rich’s decision to dump fuel and ditch, since the nearest airport, Guam, is out of range.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Songs here that start off surprisingly bracing resolve into big, sleek choruses, the work of firm believers in the power of heroic, high-protein mainstream alt-rock as a salve against encroaching darkness.—
Jon Dolan,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
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Released in 2020 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dee returns to Baltimore full of resolve, faith, and a newfound purpose.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Hernández’s introduction note among the MGI All Stars contestants highlighted her personal story of resilience and persistence.—
Sarah Moreno,
Miami Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
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Covington Police Chief Michael Ferrell credited the persistence of both his department and the Louisiana State Police for keeping the case alive.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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His loving, pragmatic wife, Mi-ri (Son Ye-jin), gamely downsizes their middle-class life to fit their new reality — but her resoluteness only exacerbates his despair.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decisiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decisiveness. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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