decree

C2+ Topic:Law & Government

US /dɪˈkri/ UK /dɪˈkriː/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
an official order having the force of law

The king issued a decree abolishing the old tax.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · an official order having... edict order mandate ordinance ruling proclamation dictate command

Word family

Derived forms decreement

Related forms decretaldecretory discern

Simplified etymology

Decree came into Middle English through Old French decre from Latin decretum, “something decided,” based on decernere, “decide.” Its early English use referred especially to an edict issued by an ecclesiastical council to settle a matter of doctrine or discipline.

Etymology

From Old French decre, decret, from Latin dēcrētum ('a decision, decree'), neuter past participle of dēcernere ('to decide'), from de- plus cernere ('to sift, distinguish').

dēcrētum Latin dēcernere Latin cernere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Law & Government Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# decree

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈkri/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈkriː/

## Meanings
1. an official order having the force of law

## Examples
- The king issued a decree abolishing the old tax.

## Synonyms
- edict
- order
- mandate
- ordinance
- ruling
- proclamation
- dictate
- command

## Derived Forms
- decreement

## Related Forms
- decretal
- decretory
- discern

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dēcrētum
- Root: dēcernere
- Root: cernere

## Etymology
From Old French decre, decret, from Latin dēcrētum ('a decision, decree'), neuter past participle of dēcernere ('to decide'), from de- plus cernere ('to sift, distinguish').

## AI Etymology
Decree is from Old French decre, decret, from Latin dēcrētum ('a decision, decree'), neuter past participle of dēcernere ('to decide'), from de- plus cernere ('to sift, distinguish'). Important recorded forms include dēcrētum (Latin), dēcernere (Latin), and cernere (Latin). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers an official order having the force of law. The wider family includes derived forms such as decreement and related words such as decretal, decretory, and discern.

## Topics
- Law & Government
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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