Conclude vs Decide

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Conclude

Top 2,000 (common) B1 verb

Decide

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 verb

Most common: Decide

	Conclude	Decide
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 //kənˈkluːd// 🇺🇸 //kənˈklud//	🇬🇧 /["/dɪˈsaɪd/","/dɪˈsaɪdz/","/dɪˈsaɪdɪd/","/dɪˈsaɪdɪŋ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/dɪˈsaɪd/","/dɪˈsaɪdz/","/dɪˈsaɪdɪd/","/dɪˈsaɪdɪŋ/"]/
Meaning	To finish or decide something.	To choose something after thinking about it.
Example	We can now conclude the meeting after discussing all the agenda items.	I need to decide what to eat for dinner.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	B1	A1
Part of speech	verb	verb
Collocations	conclude an argument, conclude a meeting, conclude a study, conclude a session, conclude a report	eventually, finally, ultimately, be able to, be unable to, cannot, against, between, in favour/​favor of, decide for yourself, the task of deciding something, to be decided, eventually, finally, ultimately, be able to, be unable to, cannot, against, between, in favour/​favor of, decide for yourself, the task of deciding something, to be decided
Antonyms	begin, start, open	hesitate, waver, vacillate
Common mistakes	Confused with 'include'; they have different meanings., Using 'conclude' without an object ('conclude' needs something to be concluded)., Incorrectly using past forms (e.g., 'concluded' when still discussing ongoing events).	Using 'decide' without an object (e.g., 'I decide.' should be 'I decide to go.')., Confusing 'decide' with 'deciding' when discussing ongoing choices., Saying 'decide for' instead of 'decide on' for choices.
Usage notes	Used in formal and neutral contexts. Avoid in informal conversations; prefer 'wrap up' or 'finish'.	Use 'decide' in everyday conversation when you're talking about choices. It's neutral, so it's suitable for any context, but not ideal for very formal writing.

See it in real clips

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

They must decide now how to end it.

Peaky Blinders › S1 E1

If they decide that they want you,

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

They must decide now how to end it.

Peaky Blinders › S1 E1

If they decide that they want you,

Decide

Frequently asked questions: Conclude vs Decide

What's the difference between Conclude and Decide?

Conclude: To finish or decide something. Decide: To choose something after thinking about it.

Which is more common: Conclude and Decide?

Decide is the most common in everyday English.

Which is more advanced: Conclude and Decide?

Conclude is the highest level, at B1, on the CEFR scale.

Are Conclude and Decide the same CEFR level?

Conclude: B1, Decide: A1 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Conclude and Decide?

Conclude: verb, Decide: verb.

Can you show an example of each?

Conclude: We can now conclude the meeting after discussing all the agenda items. Decide: I need to decide what to eat for dinner.

Can I use Conclude and Decide interchangeably?

Not always. Conclude and Decide are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.