mandate

[ man-deyt ]

noun

1. a command or authorization to act in a particular way on a public issue given by the electorate to its representative:

   The president had a clear mandate to end the war.

2. a command from a superior court or official to a lower one:

   The appellate court resolved the appeal and issued a mandate to the district judge.

3. an authoritative order or command:

   a royal mandate.

   Synonyms: ruling, edict, injunction, decree, fiat

4. (in the League of Nations) a commission given to a nation to administer the government and affairs of a former Turkish territory or German colony.
5. a mandated territory or colony.
6. Roman Catholic Church. an order issued by the pope, especially one commanding the preferment of a certain person to a benefice.
7. Roman and Civil Law. a contract by which one engages gratuitously to perform services for another.
8. (in modern civil law) any contract by which a person undertakes to perform services for another.
9. Roman Law. an order or decree by the emperor, especially to governors of provinces.

verb (used with object)

, man·dat·ed, man·dat·ing.

1. to authorize or decree (a particular action), as by the enactment of law:

   The state legislature mandated an increase in the minimum wage.

2. to order or require; make mandatory:

   to mandate sweeping changes in the election process.

3. to consign (a territory, colony, etc.) to the charge of a particular nation under a mandate.

mandate

noun

1. an official or authoritative instruction or command
2. politics the support or commission given to a government and its policies or an elected representative and his policies through an electoral victory
3. Also calledmandated territory often capital (formerly) any of the territories under the trusteeship of the League of Nations administered by one of its member states
4. 1. Roman law a contract by which one person commissions another to act for him gratuitously and the other accepts the commission
   2. contract law a contract of bailment under which the party entrusted with goods undertakes to perform gratuitously some service in respect of such goods
   3. Scots law a contract by which a person is engaged to act in the management of the affairs of another

verb

1. international law to assign (territory) to a nation under a mandate
2. to delegate authority to
3. obsolete.
   to give a command to

mandate

1. A command or an expression of a desire, especially by a group of voters for a political program. Politicians elected in landslide victories often claim that their policies have received a mandate from the voters.

Derived Forms

• ˈmanˌdator, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mandate¹

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin mandātum, noun use of neuter of mandātus, past participle of mandāre “to commission,” literally, “to give into (someone's) hand”; equivalent to manus manus + -dere “to put” (combining form; do ¹ ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of mandate¹

C16: from Latin mandātum something commanded, from mandāre to command, perhaps from manus hand + dāre to give

Example Sentences

All this deep slicing-and-dicing was a core feature of Ramaswamy’s campaign for the GOP presidential nomination, in which he promised to abolish the Department of Education and the FBI, gut the Food and Drug Administration, and narrow the Federal Reserve’s mandate.

From Slate

The city’s proposal would make them permanent and go further to mandate every rent-stabilized unit demolished is replaced by an income-restricted affordable unit.

From Los Angeles Times

They want officials to mandate developers replace each rent-stabilized unit they demolish with not one but two income-restricted affordable units.

From Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles is proposing changes because state housing rules mandate the city find land where developers can add 255,000 new homes — just over half of which would be affordable to low-income families.

From Los Angeles Times

While the city’s rent stabilization ordinance limits annual rent increases for a tenant — usually to 3% or 4% — it does not mandate rent be affordable.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• authorization
• command
• decree
• directive
• injunction
• instruction
• sanction