consider a matter carefully before deciding; verb

Common use: deliberate on / over a proposal; deliberate before acting

The jury deliberated over the entries before selecting a shortlist.

consider the relative merits, costs or significance of alternatives

Common use: weigh up the options / advantages / evidence

They weighed up the convenience of the city against the extra space outside it.

decide which matters deserve attention or action first

Common use: prioritise tasks / needs / spending

With only two days available, we prioritised repairs to the shared entrance.

exclude something as a possibility or option

Common use: rule out a cause / route / proposal

The low doorway ruled out bringing the cabinet in upright.

reduce a range of possibilities to a smaller set

Common use: narrow down a list / choice / search

The first interviews narrowed down the field to three candidates.

choose using relevant understanding or information rather than guesswork alone

Common use: help someone make an informed choice

The comparison sheet helped visitors make an informed choice about the available courses.

concerned with overall aims and the coordinated means of achieving them

Common use: a strategic decision / objective / approach

Keeping the central site was a strategic decision about the organisation’s future identity.

concerned with specific actions used to achieve an objective

Common use: a tactical move / adjustment / decision

Changing the order of the speakers was a tactical move to regain the audience’s attention.

a view of likely conditions or prospects over an extended period

Common use: assess the long-term outlook for something

The workshop’s long-term outlook improved when a new training partnership was secured.

failing to consider future consequences adequately; disapproving

Common use: a short-sighted decision / approach

Selling the tools to cover one month’s bills proved short-sighted when new orders arrived.

a possible future event or circumstance requiring a prepared response

Common use: plan for a contingency; a contingency plan

The organisers had a contingency plan for a power failure.

an alternative used if the preferred option fails or is unavailable

Common use: a fallback option / position; have a fallback

If the library room was unavailable, the café upstairs was their fallback.

a risk accepted after considering its possible costs and benefits

Common use: take a calculated risk

Opening a second evening session was a calculated risk based on the waiting list.

inclined to avoid risk, even when a risky option may offer a larger gain

Common use: a risk-averse approach / decision-maker

The risk-averse owner preferred a smaller secure order to a larger uncertain one.

reduce exposure to one uncertain outcome by keeping more than one possibility in play

Common use: hedge her bets; hedge their bets by doing something

He hedged his bets by applying to both the traineeship and the evening course.

avoid committing in a way that removes possible future choices

Common use: keep their options open until more is known

They rented equipment initially to keep their options open.

commit in a way that makes later change difficult

Common use: lock yourself into a contract / routine / position

She avoided a rigid schedule that would lock her into the same route every week.

a stage after which reversing a decision or process is no longer practically possible

Common use: reach / pass the point of no return

Once the original mould was destroyed, the redesign had passed the point of no return.

act before an anticipated move or problem to prevent it or take control of the situation

Common use: pre-empt criticism / a move / a difficulty

The organiser published the selection criteria to pre-empt accusations of favouritism.

expect or foresee something; also act in preparation for it

Common use: anticipate demand / difficulty; anticipate that

The engineers anticipated a longer testing period because the design was unfamiliar.

predict someone’s intentions or decision; also question a decision after it is made

Common use: second-guess someone; second-guess a decision

Rather than second-guess the client, she asked what mattered most to them.

able to make choices firmly; also determining an outcome

Common use: a decisive leader / action / factor

A decisive response ended the discussion before it drifted into another hour of speculation.

delay necessary action or a decision unnecessarily

Common use: procrastinate over a task; stop procrastinating

He kept reorganising his notes to avoid applying and realised he was procrastinating.

using knowledge of later events to judge an earlier situation

Common use: with hindsight, something seems clear

With hindsight, we should have left more time between the two deliveries.