edict
Americannoun
-
a decree issued by a sovereign or other authority.
- Synonyms:
- pronouncement, dictum
-
any authoritative proclamation or command.
noun
-
a decree, order, or ordinance issued by a sovereign, state, or any other holder of authority
-
any formal or authoritative command, proclamation, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of edict
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”; see origin at e- 1, dictum
Explanation
If your mom orders you to clean your room, that's an order. If the king asks you to do it, that's an edict — an official order from some higher up. Edict comes from the Latin edictum, meaning a "proclamation, or ordinance." Although it was originally used to describe a declaration or command from a king or other governing official, in more recent years it has come to be used almost sarcastically to describe any order. When your teacher says the report is due Monday morning, no exceptions, you know you'll be hitting the books this weekend — this is an edict you cannot ignore.
Vocabulary lists containing edict
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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.
A decade later, the Edict of Milan decriminalized Christianity in the empire.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025
Fatakia says the clay cylinder - also known as the "Edict of Cyrus" or the "Cyrus Cylinder" - is one of the most important discoveries of the ancient world.
From BBC • May 16, 2025
For example, in 301, he issued the Edict on Maximum Prices, which had two goals.
From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023
A good place to start might be the Edict of Nantes, issued by Henri IV in 1598 to bring to an end to the wars of religion in France.
From The Guardian • Mar. 2, 2016
In France, the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685, while further afield Turkish forces reached the gates of Vienna, Buda and Belgrade around this time.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
