decree

American  

[dih-kree] / dɪˈkri /

noun

1. a formal and authoritative order, especially one having the force of law.

   a presidential decree.

2. Law. a judicial decision or order.

3. Theology. one of the eternal purposes of God, by which events are foreordained.

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verb (used with or without object)

decreed, decreeing

1. to command, ordain, or decide by decree.

decree British  

/ dɪˈkriː /

noun

1. an edict, law, etc, made by someone in authority

2. an order or judgment of a court made after hearing a suit, esp in matrimonial proceedings See decree nisi decree absolute

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verb

1. to order, adjudge, or ordain by decree

Other Word Forms

• decreeable
  adjective
• decreer
  noun
• predecree
  verb (used with object)
• undecreed
  adjective
• well-decreed
  adjective

Etymology

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

Explanation

Look carefully! A decree isn't something you get when you graduate. That one little letter change makes it something else altogether: a legally binding command or the announcement of such a thing. If you go back far enough, a decree referred to a decision handed down by the Roman emperor. In more modern usage, a divorce decree is the document issued by a court that terminates a marriage. And if you want to go out with someone on a date, but things keep preventing you from having the chance to ask, you could say that fate did not decree it to be so.

Example Sentences

Lecornu also said he would issue a decree later Sunday authorising appropriate isolation measures being put in place to protect the public.

From Barron's • May 10, 2026

Kuwait's emir also issued a decree last month that was aimed at "securing and protecting the supreme interests of military entities".

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

The consent decree vested oversight of the pipelines in the state, on grounds that the lines are intrastate facilities and therefore not subject to federal regulation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

While he pushed through early measures by executive decree, the rest of his reform program depends on Congress, where he lacks a majority despite strong midterm results.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

He orders three certified copies of the name change decree, two for himself, and one for his parents to keep in their safe- deposit box.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• act
• announcement
• directive
• edict
• injunction
• instruction
• judgment
• law
• order
• proclamation
• regulation
• rule
• ruling
• statute