Ten Commandments

American  

plural noun

1. the precepts spoken by God to Israel, delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai; the Decalogue. Exodus 20:2–17; Deuteronomy 5:6–21. Though the numbering of these commandments may differ in some religions, that which has been followed in this dictionary is based on the King James Version of the Bible.

---

Ten Commandments British  

plural noun

1. Also known as: the Decalogue.  Old Testament the commandments summarizing the basic obligations of man towards God and his fellow men, delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai engraved on two tables of stone (Exodus 20:1–17)

---

Ten Commandments Cultural  

1. The commandments engraved on stone tablets and given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. These commandments are the heart of the divine law in the Old Testament. The usual enumeration is: (I) I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other gods before me. (II) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. (III) Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. (IV) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (V) Honor thy father and thy mother. (VI) Thou shalt not kill. (VII) Thou shalt not commit adultery. (VIII) Thou shalt not steal. (IX) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. (X) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

---

Usage

What are the Ten Commandments? The Ten Commandments are a set of Judeo-Christian religious rules—very influential to both historic and contemporary morality, ethics, and worship in the West—believed to be sent directly from God to humanity. How is Ten Commandments pronounced?[ ten kuh-mand-muhnts ]What are some other forms related to [Ten Commandments]?10 Commandments

Example Sentences

In 1980, justices struck down a law virtually identical to Texas’, forbidding states from placing the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026

There have previously been numerous legal battles over the display of the Ten Commandments in public buildings, including courthouses and police stations as well as schools.

From BBC • Jun. 20, 2024

Legal battles over the Ten Commandments in classrooms are not new, but have spanned decades.

From Seattle Times • May 30, 2024

As she sat in her bedroom reading the Ten Commandments and reflecting on the Christian book “The Way of the Master,” she said Christianity suddenly “clicked” for her.

From Washington Times • Nov. 24, 2023

“And here are a few things the Good Book has to say on the subject. In Exodus Twenty, Verse Thirteen, we have one of the Ten Commandments: ‘Thou shalt not kill.’

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote