predecide

Predecide is a verb meaning to decide something in advance, before the relevant information is known or before a situation develops. The term combines the prefix pre- with decide. It is used in everyday language and in discussions of planning and decision making.

In personal planning, people predecide recurring choices to reduce cognitive load and self-control problems: for example, predeciding to save a fixed amount each month, to eat within a budget, or to decline offers that fail to meet a predetermined criterion. In organizational or policy contexts, predeciding criteria for hiring, procurement, or governance can guide consistent behavior and help align actions with stated goals.

In decision theory and behavioral economics, predecide relates to precommitment strategies, which bind a person to a course of action to avoid future temptation. Advantages include reduced decision fatigue and better alignment with long-term goals. Limitations include reduced adaptability; if circumstances change, the predecided plan can become suboptimal. It is not always treated as a formal technical term, with alternatives such as precommitment or commitment device used in more formal discussions.

Overall, predecide describes the act of making a plan or outcome determination before action, and it appears across contexts from personal finance to governance as a tool for improving consistency and self-control.