decree

[dih-kree]

See more synonyms for decree 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.

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

Related formspre·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. 2018

Related Words for decreed

impose, dictate, declare, enact, proclaim, set, force, decide, oblige, compel, require, pronounce, ordain, rule, prescribe, command, determine, demand, announce, constrain

Examples from the Web for decreed

Contemporary Examples of decreed

Atalanta is a young princess, and her father has decreed she must marry whichever man wins a footrace.
‘Free to Be…You and Me’ Did Not Emasculate Men
Emily Shire
March 11, 2014
There would not be female priests, he decreed: “That door is closed.”
What About Women, Pope Francis?
Janine di Giovanni
August 1, 2013
Harry, it has been decreed, will not be photographed near any alcohol.
The Reinvention of Prince Harry: Why His U.S. Visit Is a Huge Success
Tom Sykes
May 15, 2013
In 1957 Nikita Khrushchev decreed that the Chechens could return to their ancestral homelands.
How Chechnya Suffered Under Russian Rule
David Frum
April 19, 2013
Restive al Anbar province, the decreed center of a new al Qaeda state, was lost.
What If the Iraq War Never Happened?
Michael Ware
March 20, 2013

Historical Examples of decreed

Atropos has decreed that I at least shall never again enter her walls.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
So the hostess had decreed, and so instructed Alfred and Gracie.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
She realized that fate had decreed defeat for her in the game.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
But, on this unusual occasion, it was decreed that we should black our boots and leggings.
Brighter Britain! (Volume 1 of 2)
William Delisle Hay
That which is coming, and is decreed to come, cannot be very disagreeable.
Lord Kilgobbin
Charles Lever

British Dictionary definitions for decreed

decree

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 Formsdecreeable, 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

Word Origin and History for decreed

decree

late 14c., from decree (n.). Related: Decreed; decreeing.

decree

early 14c., from Old French decre, variant of decret (12c., Modern French décret), from Latin decretum, neuter of decretus, past participle of decernere "to decree, decide, pronounce a decision," from de- (see de-) + cernere "to separate" (see crisis).