commandments

noun

plural of commandment
as in instructions
a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned the boss left behind a list of commandments for running the office while he was away

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of commandments Where does that leave Paxton, a man accused of violating quite a few of the commandments? — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026 This is, of course, the conception of fundamentalist theology, which threatens eternal hellfire for anyone who defies its commandments. — Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026 Wilde’s nine buttercream commandments show home bakers how to create visually striking, deeply personal cakes. — Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 After the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, interpreters understood Temple service broadly in terms of study, prayer, and upholding the commandments. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026 Treat them as starting points, not commandments. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026 Paxton filed a lawsuit against Galveston ISD after the school board voted against placing the commandments in classrooms. — Haajrah Gilani, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026 Consider these our contemporary cupcake commandments, illustrated by three new recipes that are, as Carrie would say, fabulous. — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026 And as for her new commandments? — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commandments
  1. instructions
  2. edicts
  3. orders
  4. directives
  5. directions
  6. injunctions
Noun
  • But the quality and usefulness of those answers depend greatly on the questions and instructions given.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Similar training, instructions and information can be enough.
    — Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of instructions
Noun
  • But this exploitation of Catholic bishops who were praying for their president, not delivering papal edicts with political patinas, feels especially repulsive.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • In the years that followed, predatory land purchases, restrictive edicts, and forced displacement further diminished their ranks.
    — Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of edicts
Noun
  • More than 30% of the orders received by his aluminum-coating factory in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan come from American clients.
    — Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
  • During the training, leaders complete six shifts of hands-on shop training, sharpening their hospitality skills, perfecting drink orders, and learning how to deliver on the values of speed, quality and service.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of orders
Noun
  • The proclamation reiterates the administration's goals with NASA's Artemis program to return American astronauts to the moon by 2028 and eventually sending astronauts to Mars, but introduces no new funding, programs or policy directives.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • State agencies like the Florida Highway Patrol have aggressively pursued ICE directives.
    — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of directives
Noun
  • Subscribers must order at least two meal kits per week from a rotating menu featuring dozens of recipes with pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step directions.
    — Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Service on the line is back to normal in both directions, a SEPTA spokesperson said.
    — CBS Philadelphia, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of directions
Noun
  • Courts in Brazil and Norway issued preliminary injunctions blocking the terms after organizations in those countries promptly filed lawsuits, Nieman Lab reported.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Courts are more willing to protect trade secrets through court injunctions, Fewins said.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of injunctions

Browse Nearby Words

commandment
commandments
commando
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Commandments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commandments. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of defer

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All