commandment
Americannoun
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a command or mandate.
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(sometimes initial capital letter) any of the Ten Commandments.
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the act or power of commanding. commanding.
noun
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a divine command, esp one of the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament
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literary any command
Etymology
Origin of commandment
1200–50; Middle English com ( m ) and ( e ) ment < Anglo-French, Old French com ( m ) andement. See command, -ment
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nor is there any commandment to spread the religion over the face of the earth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
The practice is derived from the Bible's fourth commandment which states "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy".
From BBC • Oct. 6, 2024
His crime: taking too seriously the biblical commandment to love thy neighbor and the injunction not to kill.
From New York Times • Jun. 5, 2024
While I wouldn’t risk a cold start with time-consuming laminated dough, in general I found that breaking the “thou shalt preheat” commandment worthwhile.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 2, 2024
It’s the eleventh commandment, you know: “Thou shalt not track dirt.”
From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
