1
as in edict
a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned
the boss doesn't give out many decrees, but he does expect those that are issued to be fully obeyed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ruling
an order publicly issued by an authority
a decree issued by the state's supreme court to the legislature
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to order
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority
the new supervisor decreed that thenceforth coffee breaks would have a 15-minute limit
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decree
Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
At the start of the twentieth century, only nine castrati remained in the Papal Chapel, and a 1903 decree by Pius X banned new recruits, not that many would have been forthcoming.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
Blue laws, or Sunday-closing mandates that decreed a 24-hour pause from most work and commerce, were a legacy of the Puritans, who believed in keeping the Sabbath as stringently as possible.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decree
Noun
Today, Rihanna is living by her own decree.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
At the start of the twentieth century, only nine castrati remained in the Papal Chapel, and a 1903 decree by Pius X banned new recruits, not that many would have been forthcoming.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
For example, the Clarkstown Town Board has decreed that there will be no boarding houses, and only two unrelated people can live in the same house, no matter its size.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
Blue laws, or Sunday-closing mandates that decreed a 24-hour pause from most work and commerce, were a legacy of the Puritans, who believed in keeping the Sabbath as stringently as possible.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decree
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decree
Noun
-
Covid-19 bred doubt about government edicts and skepticism about science, provoking an existential battle for truth.—
Richard Edelman,
Time,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Trump edicts weigh on stocks this week Geopolitical risks have weighed on investor sentiment this week.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The ruling against Kim was made about three weeks before the court delivers its verdict on a rebellion charge against Yoon.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Both prosecutors and Kim’s team can appeal the ruling.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Bell has already ordered another season, as fans in China, Russia and around the world binge Season 1.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The outages have left ordinary Russians frequently unable to use their phones on the go — to make calls, order a taxi or pay for groceries.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Fireplaces in guest rooms come with a lighting kit and instructions, but the team is more than happy to come set up a roaring blaze for you.—
Asonta Benetti,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Other university systems in Texas have also placed restrictions on classroom instruction or have begun internal reviews of course offerings following a new state law.—
Juan A. Lozano,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The magnitude of the admissions slowdown nationwide is hard to estimate because there’s no reliable count of the number of individual programs that quietly decided, without any central administration directive, to pull back on their numbers.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Seven security directives totaling over 500 pages have been consolidated into a single, 23-page order.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Mu Hee’s visits her Uncle and Aunt, and requests them to ask her father the whereabouts of her mother.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The Senate could split off DHS funding from the rest of the spending legislation, as Democrats are requesting, and send it back to the House.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
With school out of session and the injunction in place, uncertainty crept in.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The ruling on the injunction focused on the argument by Minnesota officials that the federal government is violating the Constitution’s 10th Amendment, which limits the federal government’s powers to infringe on the sovereignty of states.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In a decision filed last week in Fulton County Superior Court, District Attorney Fani Willis said there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute Patty Durand for stealing trade secrets, which is a felony.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Trump, too, downplayed his decision to deploy border czar Tom Homan, who himself is controversial after in 2024 alleging accepting $50,000 in cash from FBI agents pretending to be business executives seeking government, to Minneapolis.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decree.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decree. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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