Meaning & use
commandment
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An authoritative order or instruction, especially one of moral or religious importance.
See it in a sentence
The novel's title refers to an unspoken commandment among the villagers never to speak of the flood.
Following the coach's first commandment, the team always warmed up together before practice.
A note on using this word
Most familiar from the religious phrase 'the Ten Commandments,' but the word can also describe any strict, authoritative rule in a general or figurative sense.
Words with a similar meaning
directivedecree
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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