# deciding

/ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪŋ/ (US) · /dɪsˈaɪdɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/deciding
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. final or determining

adjective · CEFR B2

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

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

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

### 2. the act of choosing

noun · CEFR B1

the process of making a choice or a decision.

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

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

## Examples

- The weather was the deciding factor for our trip.
- After a long debate, the chairman cast the deciding vote to approve the new budget.
- While both candidates performed well in the debates, the deciding factor for many voters was the incumbent's handling of the recent economic crisis.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.