decide

decide, determine, settle, rule, resolve mean to come or to cause to come to a conclusion.

Decide presupposes previous consideration of a matter causing doubt, wavering, debate, or controversy and implies the arriving at a more or less logical conclusion that brings doubt or debate to an end: the word may take as its subject the person or persons arriving at such a conclusion or the thing or things that bring them to the conclusion

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the time for deliberation has then passed. He has decided— John Marshall

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this exordium, and Miss Pross's two hands in quite agonized entreaty clasping his, decided Mr. Cruncher— Dickens

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the . . . mistress of the household referred to her whether we should have another round or go in to supper. Of course, she always decided as she supposed the hostess wished— Jefferies

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it should disturb the complacency of those network officials who decided . . . that not enough people were watching to justify the expense— Seldes

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Determine (see also DISCOVER 2) may mean to set limits or bounds to: when it means basically to decide, this implication of definitely fixing something so that its identity, its character, its scope, its direction is clear and beyond doubt distinguishes it from decide; one decides to give a dinner party but determines the guests to be invited; a legislature decides that the state constitution should be revised and appoints a committee with power to determine what changes shall be made. In a slightly different sense determine implies the arrival at a conclusion that either is a fixed and unalterable purpose or intention

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can you weep [i.e., move by weeping] fate from its determined purpose?— Middleton

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she was . . . obviously tormented by shyness, but as obviously determined to conquer it— Mackenzie

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or is the inevitable result, outcome, or end of what precedes

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what we notice determines what we do; what we do again determines what we experience— James

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their civilization was one of "city-states," not of kingdoms and empires; and their whole political outlook was necessarily determined by this condition— Dickinson

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Settle implies the arrival at a conclusion, often a mental or logical conclusion but sometimes a termination for which no individual is responsible, that brings to an end all doubt, all wavering, all dispute

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the Supreme Court of the United States has power to settle all questions of law

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time has settled few or none of the essential points of dispute— Henry Adams

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death settled all their problems

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Rule (see also GOVERN) implies a decision or determination by authority, especially by the authority of the court

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the judge ruled that the question was in-, admissible

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Resolve implies an expressed or clear decision or determination to do or refrain from doing something

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resolve to get up earlier in the mornings

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resolve to give up smoking

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he was resolved to win through to fortune, but he must first discover his tools— Buchan

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Analogous words: conclude, judge, gather (see INFER): *judge, adjudge, adjudicate

Contrasted words: vacillate, waver, *hesitate, falter