A decree is an official order or decision made by someone in power, such as a ruler, government, or court.
It comes from Old French “decret,” from Latin “decretum,” meaning “something decided,” from “decernere,” “to decide, determine.” The root idea is a decision made from above.
A decree is a decision so powerful it doesn’t need a debate—it just becomes the rule. The word carries a top‑down feeling: one voice speaks, and everyone else is expected to follow.
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