plural mandates
formal
1
: an official order to do something
Royal mandates must be obeyed.
They carried out the governor's mandate to build more roads.
2
: the power to act that voters give to their elected leaders
He won the election so convincingly that he believed he had been given a mandate for change/reform.
—often followed by to + verbHe believed he had been given a mandate (from the people) to implement his policies.
There is no mandate to raise taxes.
mandates; mandated; mandating
chiefly US, formal
1
: to officially demand or require (something)
Ours was the first state to mandate [=order] the change.
The law mandates that every car have seat belts.
—often used as (be) mandatedDrug tests have been mandated by the government.
a mandated [=required, mandatory] drug test
2
: to officially give (someone) the power to do something
He won the election so convincingly that he believed the people had mandated him to carry out his policies.
Cite this Entry
“Mandate.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/mandate. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.
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