edict

American  

[ee-dikt] / ˈi dɪkt /

noun

1. a decree issued by a sovereign or other authority.

   Synonyms:

   pronouncement, dictum

2. any authoritative proclamation or command.

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edict British  

/ ˈiːdɪkt /

noun

1. a decree, order, or ordinance issued by a sovereign, state, or any other holder of authority

2. any formal or authoritative command, proclamation, etc

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Other Word Forms

• edictal adjective
• edictally adverb

Etymology

Origin of edict

First recorded in 1450–1500; from Latin ēdictum, noun use of neuter of ēdictus (past participle of ēdīcere “to give public notice, proclaim”), equivalent to ē- + dictus “said”; e- ¹, dictum

Example Sentences

“There’s a sense of moral panic,” Ms. Hall says of the edict.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

Taliban officials then described the face veil edict as "advice".

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2025

Wearing suits and green ties, the players were following the edict of their coach to act classy and be thankful and polite.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2025

And it has opened up a market for China, whose trade officials jetted to Brasilia just hours after Trump published his edict.

From Slate • Aug. 1, 2025

To this day the edict remains, but rarely needs to be invoked, because few are foolish enough to impersonate a scythe.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• commandment
• decree
• directive
• injunction
• judgment
• mandate
• precept
• proclamation
• regulation
• ruling
• statute