I. man ‧ date 1 /ˈmændeɪt/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: mandatum , from mandare 'to give into someone's hand, command' , from manus 'hand' + dare 'to give' ]
1 . [countable] if a government or official has a mandate to make important decisions, they have the authority to make the decisions because they have been elected by the people to do so
mandate to do something
The President was elected with a clear mandate to tackle violent crime.
mandate for
a popular mandate for election reform
mandate from
I sought a mandate from my constituents to oppose this tax.
have/be given a mandate
Sometimes a President thinks he has more of a mandate than he really does.
2 . [countable] an official instruction given to a person or organization, allowing them to do something:
Matters debated in meetings do not become a mandate automatically.
3 . [uncountable and countable] the power given to one country to govern another country
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ a clear mandate
The vote gave the trade union a clear mandate to pursue a better settlement.
▪ a popular mandate (=when someone or something wins a vote by a large amount)
He called the election in the hope of receiving a popular mandate.
▪ an electoral mandate (=gained by winning an election)
Ford took over when Nixon resigned, and thus did not have an electoral mandate of his own.
■ verbs
▪ have a mandate
In Venezuela, Chavez said he had a mandate for reform.
▪ give somebody a mandate
He hoped that signs of economic recovery would persuade voters to give him a mandate in the election.
▪ win a mandate
He won his mandate to continue his premiership.
▪ receive/obtain/get a mandate
On this issue he does seem to have received a clear mandate from the electorate.
▪ seek a mandate (=ask for a vote to show agreement with a leader or with ideas)
The government was seeking a mandate to continue the war.
II. man ‧ date 2 /mænˈdeɪt/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
1 . formal to tell someone that they must do a particular thing:
These measures were mandated by the IMF.
mandate that
Justice mandates that we should treat all candidates equally.
2 . [usually passive] to give someone the right or power to do something:
The committee was mandated to co-ordinate measures to help Poland.