was decided vs had been decided

Both 'was decided' and 'had been decided' are correct phrases, but they are used in different contexts. 'Was decided' is used to discuss a decision made in the past without specifying a time frame. 'Had been decided' is used when referring to a decision that was made before another point in the past.

Explained by Jennifer
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: March 23, 2025 • 4555 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"was decided"

This phrase is used to talk about a decision that was made in the past without specifying a specific time frame.

Examples:

The date for the meeting was decided last week.
It was decided that we would go on a trip together.
The winner of the competition was decided by the judges.
The fate of the company was decided in the board meeting.
The outcome of the game was decided in the final minutes.

Show examples from the web [+]

I'm asking what was decided.
We should keep to what was decided.
A new macro-financial assistance operation of up to EUR 200000000 was decided in 1999.
This policy of engagement was decided by the Council in October 2004.
It was decided she'd have them on.
It was decided that this amount of electricity may be purchased through the guaranteed purchase system.
The transfer of Wfa was decided in 1991 by the relevant public bodies.
In April 2008, it was decided to close down the radio operations.
What was decided during the divorce?
What was decided about EMU and a single currency at Maastricht was not set in concrete.
It was decided in the reform of 2004 to decouple tobacco payments.
The location was decided at the last conference and it will not be changed now.
Exactly what was decided is not entirely known.
The first prolongation was decided by Parliament and Council in 2003.
The allocation of new seats was decided during the Lisbon Treaty negotiations.
It was decided by the Treaty of Madrid and concluded by Spain and Portugal.
It was decided to open infirmaries.
It was decided we would stay underground for two months.
Maybe even that... was decided, too.
That night, my life was decided.

Alternatives:

the decision was made
it was settled
the conclusion was reached
the choice was finalized
the determination was made

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"had been decided"

This phrase is used to refer to a decision that was made before another point in the past, often in the context of past perfect tense.

Examples:

By the time I arrived, the matter had already been decided.
The team had been decided upon before the coach joined.
The location for the event had been decided months in advance.
The issue had been decided long before it became public.
The rules had been decided upon by the committee.

Show examples from the web [+]

But in my innermost soul I felt my death had been decided.
Part of the reason for that seems to me to have been a piece of written advice that was circulated, which pre-empted my proposals by claiming that PPE policy had been decided.
Initially it had been decided to cut the level of food aid from EUR 480 million to EUR 113.5 million.
Upon queries by the Authority of the reason for this, the Norwegian authorities have explained that it had been decided that the value of the transitional contracts should be determined on the basis of the cost base for the contracts.
Since the lower rate had been decided upon by the national authorities, the measure is imputable to the State.
José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra (The President replied that it had been decided to withdraw this item in accordance with Rule 140(2) of the Rules of Procedure and that it was not possible for him to reverse this decision).
I wasn't aware it had been decided.
If Miss Braithwaite is not coming back, I wondered if her replacement had been decided on.
I was asked whether or not the single border guard had been decided or discussed.
Once the battle had been decided, Rothworth took off for the Channel.
This is exactly what happened in the case of transport of such goods by rail, except for the fact that a time limit had been decided.
It had been decided to hold the Games in Tokyo in 1940, but the war prevented it.
Not long ago, on 29 January, the Commission's departments requested detailed information from the Greek Government on the independent checks that had been decided for the cofinanced projects in Greece.
Following representations by members of the public to the Greek EMAS committee, it was announced that it had been decided on 16 March 2009 to suspend those companies' certification.
The new financing system, which had been decided on 28 June 2005, had been put into effect as from 1 January 2006.
Italy has also confirmed that the acquisition of the two Airbus A 319, which had been planned as an option, had been decided before 31 December 2002.
I would have felt demeaned if my professional status had been decided not by my knowledge and intellectual capacity, but by some secondary feature, such as gender.
Mr Falconer raised a number of points of order, and I was very concerned that the President in the Chair yesterday seemed to give him some kind of blanket exemption from the rules I understood had been decided.
minutes of 21.05.2008, item 5.1), it had been decided that the April 2009 part-session would begin on Tuesday rather than Monday in view of Orthodox Easter.
(67) Italy has also confirmed that the acquisition of the two Airbus A 319, which had been planned as an option, had been decided before 31 December 2002.

Alternatives:

the decision had been made
it had been settled
the conclusion had been reached
the choice had been finalized
the determination had been made

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was decided vs had been decided

"was decided"

"had been decided"

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