edict

[ ee-dikt ]

noun

1. a decree issued by a sovereign or other authority.

   Synonyms: pronouncement, dictum

2. any authoritative proclamation or command.

edict

/ ˈiːdɪkt /

noun

1. a decree, order, or ordinance issued by a sovereign, state, or any other holder of authority
2. any formal or authoritative command, proclamation, etc

Derived Forms

• eˈdictal, adjective
• eˈdictally, adverb

Other Words From

• e·dictal adjective
• e·dictal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of edict¹

First recorded in 1450–1500; from Latin ēdictum, noun use of neuter of ēdictus (past participle of ēdīcere “to give public notice, proclaim”), equivalent to ē- + dictus “said”; e- ¹, dictum

Word History and Origins

Origin of edict¹

C15: from Latin ēdictum, from ēdīcere to declare

Example Sentences

Mr. Trump issued the edict in a post on his Truth Social platform Wednesday afternoon.

From New York Times

George Gascón issued a slate of progressive edicts that many prosecutors in his office said handcuffed them in the fight against crime.

From Los Angeles Times

Remember, the Supreme Court raised the stakes of this election when the Republicans on the bench issued an edict that destroyed democracy.

From Salon

His positions largely boil down to reversals of Gascón’s edicts and a promise to operate in “the hard middle.”

From Los Angeles Times

In hearing Kuhn’s edict, my mind flipped back to my anticipatory excitement when I’d ridden the subway from my office in midtown Manhattan to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx that Monday afternoon.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• commandment
• decree
• directive
• injunction
• judgment
• mandate
• precept
• proclamation
• regulation
• ruling
• statute