Officially ordered or required by someone in authority; given an official instruction that must be followed.
From Latin 'mandatum' (a command or instruction), from 'mandare' (to entrust or command). The word entered English through legal and governmental contexts.
Mandates during COVID-19 showed how governments use this power—but the word originally meant a 'trust' given to someone, so mandates are supposed to be given with the assumption that they'll be used responsibly!
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