DECREE Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

decree 1 of 2

noun

di-ˈkrē

Definition of decree

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

decree

2 of 2

verb

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

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 decree

Noun

Musk made no immediate comment on the award, which was announced by presidential decree. — ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026 Owners may feel pressed into repairs The Kremlin’s exact intentions with the decree are unclear. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Verb

What if, God forbid, a fascist government decreed that unmarried people could have sex on just one night of the year? — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 5 Aug. 2026 First, lawmakers decreed that veterans on the GI Bill could make up no more than 85 percent of the students in a course, and that schools had to charge the same tuition for veterans and nonveterans alike. — Andrew Ba Tran, Washington Post, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for decree

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decree

Noun

The president’s orders and edicts have no basis in reality, are nonsensical and are making our nation significantly less safe.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
Imagine if an edict came down from above tomorrow that says college athletes must be treated as full-time W-2 employees.

— Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of edict

Noun

The Thursday ruling came after Democrats and voting rights groups filed a fresh round of lawsuits to comply with the recent Supreme Court decision.

— Lindsay Whitehurst, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
Conor Fitzpatrick, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which brought the lawsuit, praised the ruling.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of ruling

Verb

Even though Vaughn's initial plea was not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, and a mental status exam was ordered, no pretrial tests were done.

— Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
In a similar format to Family Feud, TopClubTen gives you ten top answers, ordered by amount, recency, value, and so on.

— Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of order

Noun

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have uncovered a new processor attack that can bypass defenses in Intel and AMD chips by exploiting a security gap lasting only a handful of instructions.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
John’s hacking skills prove useful, as does the T-800’s extensive firepower—although per John’s instructions, there are zero human fatalities.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of instruction

Noun

As they’ve mercifully been decreased from six to four to three over the last 50 years, so have the prime directives.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
In 2024, Western intelligence officials started gathering evidence that gangs in Scandinavia were subcontracting local teen-agers to carry out Iranian directives.

— Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of directive

Verb

Sustained gunfire began past midnight at the premises of the Diori Hamani International Airport, which hosts a major military base, according to an AP witness who requested anonymity for safety reasons.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
The group requested agreements among MPEA, arena operator Oak View Group, the Chicago Sky and the WNBA.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of request

Noun

Talwani, nominated to the bench by former President Obama, reluctantly removed the second injunction shortly after.

— Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
The agency initially said the rule would not apply to the midterm election unless injunctions from lower courts were lifted; those were both lifted this week.

— Caitlin Babcock, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of injunction

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decreasingly

decree

decreed

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Style

“Decree.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decree. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of decree

noun

verb

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