/ dɪˈkriː; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ C , U ] an official order from a ruler or a government that becomes the law :
to issue / sign a decree
a leader who rules by decree (= not in a democratic way)
2.
[ C ] a decision that is made in court
■ verb
( de·cree·ing , de·creed , de·creed ) to decide, judge or order sth officially :
[ vn ]
The government decreed a state of emergency.
[ vn that ]
It was decreed that the following day would be a holiday.
[also v , v wh- ]
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (denoting an order issued by an ecclesiastical council to settle a point of doctrine or discipline): from Old French decre , decret , from Latin decretum something decided, from decernere decide.