fiat
Americannoun
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fiats
plural
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an authoritative decree, sanction, or order.
a royal fiat.
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a fixed form of words containing the word fiat, by which a person in authority gives sanction, or authorization.
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an arbitrary decree or pronouncement, especially by a person or group of persons having absolute authority to enforce it.
The king ruled by fiat.
noun
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official sanction; authoritative permission
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an arbitrary order or decree
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literary any command, decision, or act of will that brings something about
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fiat
First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin: “let it be done,” 3rd-person singular present subjunctive of fierī “to become”
Explanation
You might think a fiat is just an Italian car, but it actually means a legal, authoritative decision that has absolute sanction. From the Latin for "let it be done," the word fiat is a binding edict issued by a person in command. It can gain an almost Biblical aura of authority, like a movie Pharaoh saying, "So let it be written, so let it be done." So let it be a fiat.
Vocabulary lists containing fiat
"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" by Frederick Douglass
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This Week In Words: January 4–10, 2020
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Texas v. Johnson (1989)
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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.
See Examples For:
He noted the erosion of trust in the fiat system, the unprecedented money printing and the accumulation of sovereign debt.
From MarketWatch ● May 12, 2026
SoFi Technologies launches ‘SoFi Big Business Banking,’ offering 24/7 services for enterprise customers to manage fiat and stablecoin transactions.
From Barron's ● Apr. 2, 2026
These purchase decisions are being made by fiat, as federally owned property is often exempt from local permitting and zoning rules.
From Slate ● Mar. 12, 2026
“It improves reliability and efficiency for moving fiat deposits in and out of digital-asset markets,” said Arjun Sethi, co-chief executive of Kraken.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
His light brown frizzy hair was scrupulously brushed, and parted by fiat.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Once spoken, the fiats cannot change without wounding the leader’s credibility.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 29, 2022
Yoo makes it clear that he thinks such executive fiats would be unconstitutional.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2020
President Dwight Eisenhower, who had put himself above the fray, began to fight back with information leaks and administrative fiats.
From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2020
With aristocratic privileges created and enforced by government fiats there were few meaningful opportunities for the common citizen to advance their business interests.
From Economist ● Sep. 2, 2013
He is regarded by many as the inhabitant of a sphere which few can enter, and his dictates are heard as fiats of a rightful ruler.
From History of Rationalism Embracing a Survey of the Present State of Protestant Theology by J. F. (John Fletcher) Hurst
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.
