edict
Americannoun
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a decree issued by a sovereign or other authority.
- Synonyms:
- pronouncement, dictum
-
any authoritative proclamation or command.
noun
-
a decree, order, or ordinance issued by a sovereign, state, or any other holder of authority
-
any formal or authoritative command, proclamation, etc
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“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
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
Customs and Border Protection, and elsewhere appeared on the streets of Portland, authorized by a presidential edict to protect federal buildings.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2025
Madam Maryam sent out a message to all the girls in the upper school: If they wanted to defy this new edict, she would open the school doors.
From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
