Decides

Decides is the third-person singular present tense of the verb decide. It denotes the act of forming a conclusion or choosing between options. In typical usage, the subject performs the action, as in He decides to move to a new city, She decides that they should wait, or The committee decides the terms of the contract. The object of decide can be an infinitive clause (to do something) or a noun phrase (the matter, the course of action), or the clause can be introduced with that.

Etymology and form: Decide derives from Latin decidere, meaning to cut off or determine, through Old French decider and Middle English. The sense of making a choice developed from the idea of cutting away alternatives to settle on one option. The verb is regular in its conjugation: decide, decides, decided, deciding.

Usage notes: Decide is a transitive verb and can be followed by to + infinitive (decide to go), by that + clause (decide that it is best), or by on + noun/gerund (decide on a course of action). It can also take a direct object in contexts like judicial or organizational decisions (The board decided the terms of the agreement). In questions and conditional sentences, forms of decide vary with tense and mood.

Related terms: decision, decision-making, decisive, indecision. In broader usage, decide often appears in discussions of policy, personal choice, or problem-solving, forming a core part of how individuals and groups determine courses of action.