fiat

noun

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fi·at | \ ˈfē-ət

, -ˌat, -ˌät; ˈfī-ət, -ˌat

Definition of fiat

1 : an authoritative or arbitrary order : decree government by fiat

2 : an authoritative determination : dictate a fiat of conscience

3 : a command or act of will that creates something without or as if without further effort According to the Bible, the world was created by fiat.

Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing fiat Learn More About fiat

Examples of fiat in a Sentence

He runs the company by fiat. the school principal issued a fiat that caps were not to be worn inside the school, and that was that

Recent Examples on the Web Clearly, central banks, and their friends in governments, view Bitcoin as a threat to the current fiat system. — Kenneth Rapoza, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2021 The temptation of avoiding it via executive fiat is obvious. — David B. Rivkin Jr. And Andrew M. Grossman, WSJ, 6 Jan. 2022 Now, doing so would mean invalidating the few remaining shreds of positive decisions resulting from judicial fiat. — Ryan Cooper, The Week, 2 Sep. 2021 Many countries could reduce their oil production by government fiat. — Ian Palmer, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2021 Those who demand that faith communities change their practices should not seek to force overall changes by legal fiat but rather encourage selective accommodations through persuasion, good faith negotiation and legislative reform. — The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 Nov. 2021 But buyers might not be able to pay with regular fiat for specific cryptocurrencies. — Chris Smith, BGR, 24 Nov. 2021 By issue #14, whether on his own or by editorial fiat, Kirby finally made a feint toward continuity by including a prominent Marvel character, kind of. — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2021 The silences that follow the scant, merely informative dialogue are stupefying silences in which characters are conspicuously turned empty, as if by directorial fiat. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fiat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.