MANDATES Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

mandates 1 of 2

noun

plural of mandate

as in accreditations

the granting of power to perform various acts or duties the committee has been given a mandate to reform the process for admitting applicants to the university

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mandates

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of mandate

as in orders

to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority the president of the sports league has mandated drug testing for all active members

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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 mandates

Noun

There’s been a sharp uptick in the number of kindergarteners deemed exempt from such mandates; in some states, more than one in every eight remains unvaccinated against a preventable disease. — Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026 Lawmakers this year never took up Ladapo’s call to remove those mandates. — Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026 However, despite these mandates, the tools weren’t ready for practice prime time. — Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 However, critics of return-to-office mandates have argued that requiring employees to return to the office can serve as a backdoor way to reduce headcount without formally laying off workers. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026 But universities that don’t require testing still far outnumber those with mandates. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026 Beyond the architecture, the Costa Rican government mandates that 70 percent of the peninsula’s dry tropical forest remains protected—paradise will not be paved. — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 20 Aug. 2026 Malone, who was a vocal critic of vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, did pin some blame on falling trust in the scientific establishment for the slight downtick in inoculations. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Come January 1, 2027, strict Department of Defense mandates will bar Chinese-origin magnets and constituent materials from US defense platforms. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026

Verb

Timothy is charged with murder — an offense that typically mandates a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole — therefore the judge is required to hold a Miller hearing before sentencing in the case. — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 One is a 170-page bill that significantly changes juvenile justice procedures, mandates the amount of time served until someone becomes eligible for parole and allows counties to raise a 1% sales tax to fund a juvenile detention center. — Jack Harvel august 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026 Illinois is one of only a handful of states that mandates screening for postpartum depression, Tandon said. — Dana Kozlov, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 The new rule mandates notification before marketing, aiming to provide the FDA with crucial information. — Jesse M. Pines, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 But this week, UFT President Michael Mulgrew threatened to yank his support, critiquing not the curriculum mandates themselves, but contradictory supplements and paperwork. — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026 The results validate Bradfield City’s Master Plan policy, which mandates green or biosolar setups on 80 percent of suitable new rooftops across Australia’s first new city in a century. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026 The order will advise states with school vaccine mandates to consider updating their laws to reflect the administration’s recommendations, the fact sheet said. — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026 In China's upstart labs, the ruling party mandates heavy use of domestic chips, and the growth of models like DeepSeek and Kimi K3 suggests that optimizing for domestic hardware may be the best solution. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mandates

Noun

This year’s 2,140 industry accreditations were up 10 percent from last year’s 1,940.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2026
The achievement is significant because TEMOS has been conducting healthcare accreditations since 2010 across multiple countries and medical specialties.

— Ascend Agency, Mercury News, 13 July 2026

Definition of accreditations

Verb

In an Investigation, Details Matter • Jacob’s Uncle Monty orders White Manna for lunch at the station.

— Chris Klimek, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Pecan is the fastest-growing fall flavor of the season, with DoorDash orders up 28% year over year from 2024 to 2025, according to the company’s 2025 fall flavors trend report.

— Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of orders

Noun

Without work authorizations and the ability to drive, many have chosen for now, to remain home behind closed doors.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
The transaction would also require SEC review, shareholder approval and other company authorizations, while its timing will depend on market conditions.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of authorizations

Verb

Proton Mail, acting as a proxy, requests the image and caches it on its own servers.

— Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
The person asked for gas money and Bitcoin, requests the family found suspicious because Goods doesn't drive and didn't have a car in Las Vegas.

— Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of requests

Noun

While casinos have long been known to court VIPs, margins on them weren’t generally as high, whether due to commissions, perks, and lower-edge games like baccarat.

— Michael Khouw, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
County commissions and development authorities that opt in will have access to site evaluation tools, community engagement guidance and data center recruitment strategies.

— Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of commissions

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

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Synonyms of mandates

noun

verb

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