Decisive
/dɪˈsaɪ.sɪv/noun
Serving to settle an issue or produce a definite result.
Did you know?Decisive traces back to Latin *decīdere*, “to cut off,” from *de-* (“off”) + *caedere* (“to cut”), the same brutal root behind words like *excise* and *incision*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*keh₂i-
“to cut”
Latin
Latin
caedere
“to cut, strike down”
Latin
Latin
decīdere
“to cut off, decide”
Late Latin
Latin
decisivus
“decisive, cutting off”
Middle French
Old French
décisif
“decisive, conclusive”
Modern English
English
decisive
“settling an issue or producing a definite result”