commandment

noun

com·​mand·​ment kə-ˈman(d)-mənt 

1

: the act or power of commanding

2

: something that is commanded

especially : one of the biblical Ten Commandments

Synonyms

• instruction
• edict
• order
• injunction
• directive
• direction
• do

Examples of commandment in a Sentence

the Ten Commandments in the Bible

the boss left behind a list of commandments for running the office while he was away

Recent Examples on the Web

But when it was pointed out that a wall spanning our southern border violated the Bible’s commandments to welcome the stranger, the right found a brand-new way to go around Jesus. —John Fugelsang september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025

However, the issue of posting the commandments in schools first surfaced in 1980. —Lydia Artz, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025

The pomegranate contains all the commandments of God in its seeds; the divine inhabits it. —Demir Alp, JSTOR Daily, 29 Aug. 2025

In fact, Faulkner even established her own set of principles, known as Epic’s 10 commandments, that are plastered all over the company’s sprawling 1,670-acre campus. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for commandment

• disbandment

Kids Definition

commandment

noun

com·​mand·​ment kə-ˈman(d)-mənt 

: something commanded

especially : one of the biblical Ten Commandments