edict
n.an official order or command given by someone in power. It is usually a rule that everyone must follow immediately.
n.an official proclamation or decree issued by an authority. Often carries the weight of law and is issued without the consent of a legislative body.
“The king issued an edict to raise taxes.”
“The government issued an emergency edict banning all public gatherings during the health crisis.”
“Historians argue that the emperor's religious edict was less about personal faith and more about consolidating political power across the fragmented provinces.”
Often used with the verbs 'issue', 'proclaim', or 'rescind'.
“The United Nations described a recent “cascade of [Taliban] edicts and laws” that have banned women from universities and most employment, denied teenage girls education and imposed strict dress codes.”
“It's there that edicts handed down by the reclusive emir are translated into what are known as workarounds.”
From Middle English edycte, borrowed from Latin edictum; earlier form edit, from Old French edit, from the same Latin word.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.