Definition of mandate
1 : an authoritative command; especially : a formal order from a superior court or official to an inferior one
2 : an authorization to act given to a representative accepted the mandate of the people
3a : an order or commission granted by the League of Nations to a member nation for the establishment of a responsible government over a former German colony or other conquered territoryb : a mandated territory
From the M-W Editors
Examples of mandate in a Sentence
Sports fans have considerable forbearance. Year after year they endure escalating ticket prices, the abomination known as seat licensing and the implied mandate that taxpayers should foot the bill for the new stadium or arena that will absolutely revive downtown. —Jack McCallum, Sports Illustrated, 30 July 2007
All provisions requiring congressional approval, such as FDA regulation, were dropped, as were mandates for stronger package warnings, tighter enforcement on sales to youth, stronger public smoking bans, and … provisions to reduce youth smoking. —Allan M. Brandt, The Cigarette Century, 2007
Not the least of the Governors' problems are the new mandates being put on them by Washington—by a President who was once one of their own. —Karen Tumulty, Time, 19 May 2003
Royal mandates must be obeyed.
They carried out the governor's mandate to build more roads.
He won the election so convincingly that he believed he had been given a mandate for change.
When Should You Use Mandate?
A mandate from a leader is a command you can't refuse. But that kind of personal command is rarely the meaning of mandate today; much more common are connected with institutions. Thus, the Clean Air Act was a mandate from Congress to clean up air pollution—and since mandate is also a verb, we could say instead that the Clear Air Act mandated new restrictions on air pollution. Elections are often interpreted as mandates from the public for certain kinds of action. But since a politician is not just a symbol of certain policies but also an individual who might happen to have an awfully nice smile, it can be risky to interpret most elections as mandating anything at all.
Other Legal Terms
Definition of mandate
mandated
;mandating
Examples of mandate in a Sentence
The carbon prices on the European exchanges are higher precisely because the allowances for carbon emissions are mandated by government. —Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, 2006
But the FDA did nothing. Later, it protested that it doesn't have the authority to mandate additional studies once a drug is marketed, but that is sophistry. The FDA has the authority to pull drugs off the market … —Marcia Angell, New York Review of Books, 8 June 2006
For a few tantalizing weeks this spring, the manufacturers of gun safety locks seemed to have hit the jackpot: the gun-control bill passed by the Senate in the wake of the Littleton shootings mandated that all new handguns be equipped with safety locks. —Calvin Trillin, Time, 5 July 1999
The law mandates that every car have seat belts.
He won the election so convincingly that he believed the people had mandated him to carry out his policies.
Origin and Etymology of mandate
see 1mandate
First Known Use: 1919
Other Government and Politics Terms
MANDATE Defined for English Language Learners
mandate
playDefinition of mandate for English Language Learners
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: an official order to do something
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: the power to act that voters give to their elected leaders
mandate
playDefinition of mandate for English Language Learners
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: to officially demand or require (something)
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: to officially give (someone) the power to do something
MANDATE Defined for Kids
mandate
playDefinition of mandate for Students
1 : an order from a higher court to a lower court
2 : a command or instruction from an authority
3 : the instruction given by voters to their elected representatives
Word Root of mandate
The Latin word mandāre, meaning “to commit” or “to order,” gives us the root mand. Words from the Latin mandāre have something to do with committing or ordering. When a task is mandatory, someone has ordered that it must be done. To command is to order someone to do something. A mandate is an order from an authority to follow specific instructions.
Law Dictionary
Legal Definition of mandate
1a : a formal communication from a reviewing court notifying the court below of its judgment and directing the lower court to act accordingly b : mandamus
2 in the civil law of Louisiana : an act by which a person gives another person the power to transact for him or her one or several affairs
3a : an authoritative command : a clear authorization or direction the mandate of the full faith and credit clause — National Law Journal b : the authorization to act given by a constituency to its elected representative
Origin and Etymology of mandate
Latin mandatum, from neuter of mandatus, past participle of mandare to entrust, enjoin, probably irregularly from manus hand + -dere to put
mandate
Legal Definition of mandate
mandated
mandating
: to make mandatory or required the Pennsylvania Constitution mandates a criminal defendant's right to confrontation — National Law Journal
Learn More about mandate
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See words that rhyme with mandate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for mandate Spanish Central: Translation of mandate Nglish: Translation of mandate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of mandate for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mandate
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