fiat
Americannoun
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an authoritative decree, sanction, or order.
a royal fiat.
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a fixed form of words containing the word fiat, by which a person in authority gives sanction, or authorization.
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an arbitrary decree or pronouncement, especially by a person or group of persons having absolute authority to enforce it.
The king ruled by fiat.
noun
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official sanction; authoritative permission
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an arbitrary order or decree
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literary any command, decision, or act of will that brings something about
Etymology
Origin of fiat
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin: “let it be done,” 3rd-person singular present subjunctive of fierī “to become”
Explanation
You might think a fiat is just an Italian car, but it actually means a legal, authoritative decision that has absolute sanction. From the Latin for "let it be done," the word fiat is a binding edict issued by a person in command. It can gain an almost Biblical aura of authority, like a movie Pharaoh saying, "So let it be written, so let it be done." So let it be a fiat.
Vocabulary lists containing fiat
"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" by Frederick Douglass
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This Week In Words: January 4–10, 2020
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Texas v. Johnson (1989)
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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.
SoFi Technologies launched “SoFi Big Business Banking” for enterprise clients, offering 24/7 banking for fiat and stablecoins like SoFiUSD.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
“It improves reliability and efficiency for moving fiat deposits in and out of digital-asset markets,” said Arjun Sethi, co-chief executive of Kraken.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
If the justice were genuinely worried about this possibility, one would not expect him to erase a key safeguard against it by judicial fiat.
From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026
Wars are financed by borrowing and printing money which devalues debt and fiat currency.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 16, 2026
They came to the fiat top where the rock was hard to hands and knees.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
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.
