fiat

[ fee-aht, -at; fahy-uht, -at ]

noun

1. an authoritative decree, sanction, or order:

   a royal fiat.

   Synonyms: ukase, diktat, mandate, ruling, directive, authorization

2. a fixed form of words containing the word fiat, by which a person in authority gives sanction, or authorization.
3. an arbitrary decree or pronouncement, especially by a person or group of persons having absolute authority to enforce it:

   The king ruled by fiat.

fiat

/ ˈfaɪət; -æt /

noun

1. official sanction; authoritative permission
2. an arbitrary order or decree
3. literary.
   any command, decision, or act of will that brings something about

Word History and Origins

Origin of fiat¹

First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin: “let it be done,” 3rd-person singular present subjunctive of fierī “to become”

Word History and Origins

Origin of fiat¹

C17: from Latin, literally: let it be done, from fierī to become

Example Sentences

Although real names aren’t attached, criminals become vulnerable when they try to cash out their crypto into dollars, euros, or another traditional fiat currency.

From Time

So what we did is we allowed consumers to instantaneously translate that cryptocurrency and sell it in into fiat currency to pay for that transaction.

From Time

They have stable value because they are backed by stores of fiat currencies.

From Time

In effect, it is just a digital version of the fiat currency, which in India’s case is the rupee.

From Quartz

Initially, Libra had proposed creating a cryptocurrency supported by a basket of government-issued fiat currencies and securities.

From Fortune

But the recent batch of polls shows Americans to be, what else, deeply split on whether Obama was right to do this by fiat.

From The Daily Beast

The grand prize is a pristine white Fiat Panda 4X4 – with full options.

From The Daily Beast

They can be unmade by judicial fiat, but it feels awfully cruel to do so.

From The Daily Beast

The Senate had, in fact, been in pro forma session when Obama issued his fiat that the body was in recess.

From The Daily Beast

Coinbase and Vault of Satoshi both allow users to purchase Bitcoin with dollars and other fiat currency.

From The Daily Beast

He became the umpire of taste, and his word was received as the fiat of fashion.

From Project Gutenberg

When at length comes the conviction that all are doomed, the fiat goes forth to put the suffering creatures out of pain.

From Project Gutenberg

And do not let anybody fool you for a single second by talking about "fiat money" and "inflation of the currency."

From Project Gutenberg

They had imagined that the Pope would not dare to utter words of defiance against the fiat of an irreligious Bloc.

From Project Gutenberg

After a heated debate the fiat went forth that Congress could not take action till 1808.

From Project Gutenberg