Decision-Making: Hyphenation
For the noun meaning the process of making decisions, Merriam-Webster gives the headword “decision-making” with a hyphen and notes its use before another noun. That supports the hyphenated form when naming the process or using it attributively.
Use “decision-making” for the noun meaning the process of deciding and in ordinary attributive uses such as “decision-making process.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Use | Recommended form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun naming the process | decision-making | decision-making takes time |
| Attributive modifier before a noun | decision-making | decision-making process |
| Verb phrase built from “make a decision” | make decisions / making decisions | Use the ordinary verb phrase rather than forcing the compound noun into every construction. |
Quick tests
Construction test
Are you naming the process itself or using that process as a modifier?
If yes: Use the hyphenated compound “decision-making.”
If no: If you are simply using the verb “make” with “decision(s),” write the ordinary verb phrase.
Caveat: The reviewed evidence supports the hyphenated noun/headword and its attributive use; it does not require hyphenating every nearby sequence of “decision” and “making.”
Examples
Transparent decision-making builds trust.
The sentence names the process as a noun.
The committee revised its decision-making process.
The compound modifies “process.”
The committee is decision-making about the budget.
Better: The committee is making a decision about the budget.
Use the ordinary verb construction instead.
Further guidance
Before Noun
The same hyphenated form is standard in combinations such as “decision-making process” or “decision-making authority.”
Noun Use
Use “decision-making” when the expression names the process or activity of making decisions.
Syntax Boundary
Do not turn the entry into a claim that every adjacent occurrence of the words “decision” and “making” must always form this compound; sentence structure still matters.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Decision-making — Definition & Meaning (opens in a new tab)Merriam-Webster · Dictionary headword and grammatical treatment of the noun “decision-making”