1. A decree or proclamation issued by an authority and having the force of law.
2. A formal pronouncement or command.

[Latin ēdictum, from neuter past participle of ēdīcere, to declare : ē-, ex-, ex- + dīcere, to speak.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.