Adjective

(en adjective)

Having the power or quality of deciding a question or controversy; putting an end to contest or controversy; final; conclusive.

''A decisive battle is fatal for one side's war chances

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=November 3 , author=Chris Bevan , title=Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=In truth, Tottenham never really looked like taking all three points and this defeat means they face a battle to reach the knockout stages -with their next home game against PAOK Salonika on 30 November likely to prove decisive .}}

Marked by promptness and decision.

A noble instance of this attribute of the decisive character. -J. Foster.

Adjective

(en adjective)

(legal) Precluding debate or expostulation; not admitting of question or appeal; positive; absolute; decisive; conclusive; final.

* 1596 , Francis Bacon, Maxims of the Law , II:

there is no reason but if any of the outlawries be indeed without error, but it should be a peremptory plea to the person in a writ of error, as well as in any other action.

Positive in opinion or judgment; absolutely certain, overconfident, unwilling to hear any debate or argument (especially in a pejorative sense); dogmatic.

* 2003 , Andrew Marr, The Guardian , 6 Jan 03:

He marched under a placard reading "End Bossiness Now" but decided it was a little too peremptory , not quite British, so changed the slogan on subsequent badges, to "End Bossiness Soon."

(obsolete) Firmly determined, resolute; obstinate, stubborn.

Accepting no refusal or disagreement; imperious, dictatorial.

*

less surprising than that he had been depressed by a book. Something was making him nibble at the edge of stale ideas as if his sturdy physical egotism no longer nourished his peremptory heart.

* 1999 , Anthony Howard, The Guardian , 2 Jan 99:

Though today (surveying that yellowing document) I shudder at the peremptory tone of the instructions I gave, Alastair - in that same volume in which I get chastised for my coverage of the Macmillan rally - was generous enough to remark that my memorandum became 'an office classic'.