Oxford Thesaurus of English

Choose the Right Word

decide, determine, resolve
All these words denote the settling of a question in one's mind as to one's future action.

To decide is to make up one's mind, often after having to choose between competing possibilities (I decided it was the moment for me to change my life | they have decided to go to Italy).

Decisively influencing something is the primary sense of determine (the quality of the grapes is determined by their position in the vineyard). Using determine to refer to someone's reaching a decision suggests that they have given careful consideration to the options and come to a firm conclusion (she determined to tackle Stephen the next day). This sense of an unwavering firmness of purpose is continued in the adjective determined (I was determined to cash in on my success).

Resolve emphasizes the act of will involved in making a decision (she must, she resolved, keep Robert firmly at a distance | I resolved to return and face the problem).

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