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decree

[ dih-kree ]
/ dɪˈkri /
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See synonyms for: decree / decreed / decrees on Thesaurus.com

noun
a formal and authoritative order, especially one having the force of law: a presidential decree.
Law. a judicial decision or order.
Theology. one of the eternal purposes of God, by which events are foreordained.
verb (used with or without object), de·creed, de·cree·ing.
to command, ordain, or decide by decree.
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Origin of decree

1275–1325; (noun) Middle English decre<Anglo-French decre, decret<Latin dēcrētum, noun use of neuter of dēcrētus, past participle of dēcernere;see decern; (v.) Middle English decreen, derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM decree

pre·de·cree, verb (used with object), pre·de·creed, pre·de·cree·ing.un·de·creed, adjectivewell-de·creed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use decree in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for decree

decree
/ (dɪˈkriː) /

noun
an edict, law, etc, made by someone in authority
an order or judgment of a court made after hearing a suit, esp in matrimonial proceedingsSee decree nisi, decree absolute
verb decrees, decreeing or decreed
to order, adjudge, or ordain by decree

Derived forms of decree

decreeable, adjectivedecreer, noun

Word Origin for decree

C14: from Old French decre, from Latin dēcrētum ordinance, from dēcrētus decided, past participle of dēcernere to determine; see decern
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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