decision-maker

noun

variants or less commonly decision maker
plural decision-makers also decision makers
: someone who is known or primarily responsible for making decisions
a good decision-maker
one of the company's key/top decision makers
However, this does not permit corrections personnel or a warden to automatically assume the role of the patient's medical decision-maker.—Erik Larsen and Katherine Drabiak

Examples of decision-maker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One specific decision-maker in your world who is still trying to square the AI hype against the GDP numbers. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 Have any of the decision-makers consulted with people who know horses? — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026 Almost two-thirds of the more than 1,800 decision-makers surveyed expect the pace of capital deployment to increase by more than a fifth over the next five years. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026 Effective October 1, in Alabama, HB580 expanded the authority of Boards of Trustees over curriculum and degree requirements at public universities, reinforcing their role as the ultimate academic decision-makers. — Beth Davis Sramek, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for decision-maker

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of decision-maker was in 1887

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Decision-maker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decision-maker. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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