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
Following his Game 1 sluggishness, Wembanyama played with more aggression and decisiveness.
—
Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
But Pressure is less a war story, rapt with the hysteria of battlefield deeds, than an intense exposition on the human capacity to tolerate uncertainty at a time when decisiveness is an imperative for action.
—Daniel Jonah Wolpert, NPR, 29 May 2026
The encounter is ostensibly intended to demonstrate the kind of ruthless decisiveness that Eisenhower would have needed in wartime.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 May 2026
The club has also lost Jim Rutherford’s experience, executive decisiveness and relationships, with the former president withdrawing from the day to day and becoming an adviser.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 19 May 2026
Apple gets a new CEO who is expected to bring back Jobs-era decisiveness.
—Menaka Doshi, Bloomberg, 21 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
Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
But Pressure is less a war story, rapt with the hysteria of battlefield deeds, than an intense exposition on the human capacity to tolerate uncertainty at a time when decisiveness is an imperative for action.
—Daniel Jonah Wolpert, NPR, 29 May 2026
The encounter is ostensibly intended to demonstrate the kind of ruthless decisiveness that Eisenhower would have needed in wartime.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 May 2026
The club has also lost Jim Rutherford’s experience, executive decisiveness and relationships, with the former president withdrawing from the day to day and becoming an adviser.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 19 May 2026
Apple gets a new CEO who is expected to bring back Jobs-era decisiveness.
—Menaka Doshi, Bloomberg, 21 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decisiveness
Noun
-
This World Cup, like Yamal’s sentiments, reflects FIFA’s determination to chart a new course and, as its critics charge, a disregard for the sport’s past and its millions of fans.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
-
The determination concludes a six-month investigation by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division into Davis Med’s admissions practices, which found the school guilty of violating a landmark 2023 Supreme Court decision that banned affirmative action in university admissions.—
Sophia Mandt,
The Washington Examiner,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Voter turnout was high for a primary election, and a significant share of voters cast ballots on or after Election Day, likely because many delayed making a decision in the governor’s race.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
-
Stephenson is not prepared to go into too much detail, but a decision on his next step has to be made.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
When to See a Doctor For the vast majority of new parents, dry skin is a temporary, frustrating nuisance that resolves as your hormones stabilize and your body adjusts to its new rhythm.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
28 May 2026
-
The March train breakdown strengthened the resolve of city officials to create an alternative people-moving system as soon as possible by repurposing the tunnel, Johnston said.—
Bruce Finley,
Denver Post,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
That persistence extends into the present in unexpected ways.—
Valentina Di Donato,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
The earth sign is determined to win through persistence, much like the intense relationship between He-Man and Skeletor.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
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 12 Jun. 2026.
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