mandate

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈmændeɪ̯t/ See IPA manual

Freq #16926

Meanings

1

noun
The authority to act, given to a government or leader by the people who voted for them.

The new president claimed a clear mandate to reform the economy.
2

verb
To officially order or require something, often by law.

The law mandates that all children attend school until sixteen.
3

noun
An official order or instruction given by someone in authority.

The committee was given a mandate to investigate the spending.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms mandatedmandatesmandating

Derived forms antimandatemandatarymandateemandativemandatormandatory

Related forms command commend countermand demand remand

Etymology

First attested in 1521; borrowed from Latin mandātum (“a charge, order, command, commission, injunction”), substantivized from the neuter forms of mandātus, perfect passive participle of mandō (“to commit to one's charge, order, command, commission, literally to put into one's hands”) (see -ate (noun-forming suffix)), from manus (“hand”) + -dere (“to put”). Sense 3 in Canadian English is likely a semantic loan from French mandat.

*(s)meh₂- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# mandate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈmændeɪ̯t/
**Frequency rank:** 16926

## Meanings
1. The authority to act, given to a government or leader by the people who voted for them.
2. To officially order or require something, often by law.
3. An official order or instruction given by someone in authority.

## Examples
- The new president claimed a clear mandate to reform the economy.
- The law mandates that all children attend school until sixteen.
- The committee was given a mandate to investigate the spending.

## Derived Forms
- antimandate
- mandatary
- mandatee
- mandative
- mandator
- mandatory

## Related Forms
- command
- commend
- countermand
- demand
- remand

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *(s)meh₂-

## Etymology
First attested in 1521; borrowed from Latin mandātum (“a charge, order, command, commission, injunction”), substantivized from the neuter forms of mandātus, perfect passive participle of mandō (“to commit to one's charge, order, command, commission, literally to put into one's hands”) (see -ate (noun-forming suffix)), from manus (“hand”) + -dere (“to put”). Sense 3 in Canadian English is likely a semantic loan from French mandat.

## AI Etymology
Mandate is first attested in 1521 and was borrowed from Latin mandātum (“a charge, order, command, commission, injunction”), substantivized from the neuter forms of mandātus, perfect passive participle of mandō (“to commit to one's charge, order, command, commission, literally to put into one's hands”) (see -ate (noun-forming suffix)), from manus (“hand”) + -dere (“to put”). Sense 3 in Canadian English is likely a semantic loan from French mandat. The historical chain includes *(s)meh₂- (Proto-Indo-European). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as antimandate, mandatary, mandatee, and mandative and related forms such as command, commend, and countermand. In present use it covers the authority to act, given to a government or leader by the people who voted for them, to officially order or require something, often by law, and an official order or instruction given by someone in authority.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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