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.
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
Explanation
If someone believes that God has directed them to do something, it's a commandment. If your parents grimly order you to clean your room, you can also consider that a commandment. Strictly speaking, a commandment is divinely ordered, like the Ten Commandments in the Bible. But you should feel free to use this word for any solemn, serious directive or set of guiding principles. The commandments of your French club, for example, might include "no speaking in English" and "don't be late — unless you brought croissants."
Vocabulary lists containing commandment
Civilizations and Peoples of the Fertile Crescent, Lessons 5–7
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Module 3: Vocabulary Video Words
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for June 22–June 28, 2024
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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.
Nor is there any commandment to spread the religion over the face of the earth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
Some referred to the commandment "thou shalt not kill".
From BBC • May 13, 2025
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
The environmental commandment that asserts that killing trees is wrong has become a harmful truism that disguises the tree’s photosynthetic magic.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 7, 2023
“It’s to prepare you for writing an official scythe’s journal. Whichever one of us gets the ring will be legally obligated by commandment six to keep a journal every day of our lives.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
