What does "deciding" mean?

1. (final or determining) having the power to settle a question or provide a final result. 2. (the act of choosing) the process of making a choice or a decision.

How do you use "deciding"?

Almost always used as an attributive adjective before a noun like 'factor', 'vote', or 'moment'. Often used as a gerund following a preposition or as a verbal noun.

deciding

adj. · n.

US //ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪŋ// UK //dɪsˈaɪdɪŋ// de·cid·ing

1 final or determining (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

having the power to settle a question or provide a final result.

functioning as a determining factor that resolves a situation or concludes a competition.

Example

The late goal was the deciding factor in the team's victory.

Example

The chairman's deciding vote broke the deadlock, finally allowing the merger to proceed after months of internal debate.

Usage

Almost always used as an attributive adjective before a noun like 'factor', 'vote', or 'moment'.
- insignificant
- minor
2 the act of choosing (n.)
B1 Intermediate

the process of making a choice or a decision.

the cognitive or procedural act of reaching a conclusion or making a choice.

Example

After much deciding, they finally picked a color for the living room.

Example

The deciding of the winner took longer than expected due to the high quality of all the entries.

Usage

Often used as a gerund following a preposition or as a verbal noun.
- decision making
- selection

Last updated June 19, 2026