diktat

[dik-taht]

noun

a harsh, punitive settlement or decree imposed unilaterally on a defeated nation, political party, etc.

any decree or authoritative statement: The Board of Education issued a diktat that all employees must report an hour earlier.

Origin of diktat

1930–35; < German: literally, something dictated < Latin dictātus, past participle of dictāre to dictate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for diktat

Contemporary Examples of diktat

Even in 1960 such a diktat might have been, well, “understandable” in a Southern city such as Washington then was.
The Racist Redskins
Michael Tomasky
June 1, 2013

British Dictionary definitions for diktat

diktat

noun

decree or settlement imposed, esp by a ruler or a victorious nation

a dogmatic statement

Word Origin for diktat

German: dictation, from Latin dictātum, from dictāre to dictate

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 diktat

1933, from German Diktat "dictate."