mandate
Americannoun
-
a command or authorization to act in a particular way on a public issue given by the electorate to its representative.
The president had a clear mandate to end the war.
-
a command from a superior court or official to a lower one.
The appellate court resolved the appeal and issued a mandate to the district judge.
-
an authoritative order or command.
a royal mandate.
- Synonyms:
- ruling, edict, injunction, decree, fiat
-
(in the League of Nations) a commission given to a nation to administer the government and affairs of a former Turkish territory or German colony.
-
a mandated territory or colony.
-
Roman Catholic Church. an order issued by the pope, especially one commanding the preferment of a certain person to a benefice.
-
Roman and Civil Law. a contract by which one engages gratuitously to perform services for another.
-
(in modern civil law) any contract by which a person undertakes to perform services for another.
-
Roman Law. an order or decree by the emperor, especially to governors of provinces.
verb (used with object)
-
to authorize or decree (a particular action), as by the enactment of law.
The state legislature mandated an increase in the minimum wage.
-
to order or require; make mandatory.
to mandate sweeping changes in the election process.
-
to consign (a territory, colony, etc.) to the charge of a particular nation under a mandate.
noun
-
an official or authoritative instruction or command
-
politics the support or commission given to a government and its policies or an elected representative and his policies through an electoral victory
-
Also called: mandated territory. (often capital) (formerly) any of the territories under the trusteeship of the League of Nations administered by one of its member states
-
-
Roman law a contract by which one person commissions another to act for him gratuitously and the other accepts the commission
-
contract law a contract of bailment under which the party entrusted with goods undertakes to perform gratuitously some service in respect of such goods
-
Scots law a contract by which a person is engaged to act in the management of the affairs of another
-
verb
-
international law to assign (territory) to a nation under a mandate
-
to delegate authority to
-
obsolete to give a command to
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has mandatedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have mandatedperfect
-
am mandatingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been mandatingperfect progressive
-
has been mandatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
are mandatingprogressive
-
mandatingparticiple
-
mandatessingular 3rd person
-
is mandatingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
-
had mandatedperfect
-
had been mandatingperfect progressive
-
was mandatingprogressive singular
-
mandatedsimple
-
mandatedparticiple
-
were mandatingprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of mandate
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin mandātum, noun use of neuter of mandātus, past participle of mandāre “to commission,” literally, “to give into (someone's) hand”; equivalent to manus manus + -dere “to put” (combining form; see do 1).
Explanation
A mandate is an official command or a go-ahead. When a politician wins an election by a wide margin, that's a mandate to implement her ideas. A mandate gives authority. If the government gives schools a mandate to test more, then the schools had better give more tests. People who work for the Peace Corps have a mandate to help various countries with things like getting clean drinking water. A politician who believes in higher taxes and then gets elected considers that a mandate to raise taxes. When you have a mandate, it's like a ticket to get something done.
Vocabulary lists containing mandate
"My Wonder Horse," Vocabulary from the short story
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Anthem
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: November 4 - 10, 2017
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In Northern Ireland, the Department of Justice is working on a review of the pardons and disregards scheme, with a view to bringing new proposals to the Executive in the next Assembly mandate.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
Which is how it was sold to the private-pilot world, which winced at the mandate.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
And unlike the Fed’s dual mandate that includes employment, the ECB’s only mandate is to control inflation.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
It was originally an act of Congress that gave the Kennedy Center its name and mandate.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
In reality, I was much more aware of places that were off- limits by Daddy’s orders than by state mandate.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
