diktat

noun

dik·tat | \ dik-ˈtät

Definition of diktat

1 : a harsh settlement unilaterally imposed (as on a defeated nation)

2 : decree, order

Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about diktat

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Did You Know?

In diktat you might recognize the English word dictate. Both words derive from Latin dictare ("to assert" or "to dictate"), a form of dicere ("to say"). Diktat passed through German where it meant "something dictated." Dictate can mean both "to speak words aloud to be transcribed" and "to issue a command or injunction," the sense of the word that gave us dictator. Germans, beginning with Prince Wilhelm, used diktat in a negative way to refer to the Treaty of Versailles, the document ending World War I. Today diktat can be used as a critical term for even minor regulations felt to be unfair or authoritarian.

Examples of diktat in a Sentence

The company president issued a diktat that employees may not wear jeans to work. a democratic government has to be something wanted by that nation's citizens and not something created by a foreign power's diktat

Recent Examples on the Web

For the Randian faithful, this pair of diktats have withstood the test of time. — Alexander Sammon, The New Republic, "The Last of the Ayn Rand Acolytes," 14 Aug. 2019 Wherever French voters had turned, somehow there was still a neoliberal lording over them in the Élysée Palace, favoring the diktats of the European Union, the forces of unregulated markets, the juggernaut of globalization. — Christopher Ketcham, Harper's magazine, "A Play with No End," 22 July 2019 Some in Washington want to take health insurance choices away from workers and replace them with the diktats of politicians. — Avik Roy, Twin Cities, "Avik Roy: Trump could revolutionize the private health insurance market," 20 June 2019 This column is holding out hope that demands from consumers rather than diktats from bureaucrats will chart the future of social media. — James Freeman, WSJ, "Worse than Facebook and Twitter?," 8 Aug. 2018 This is where the High Court is likely to be crucial over the next 20 years as progressives use executive power to rewrite the law by regulatory diktat. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "A Justice With a Record," 8 July 2018 Nasaka issued diktats compelling Rohingya to catalog their possessions annually: How many cows? — Niharika Mandhana, WSJ, "‘All Our Lives They Wanted to Ruin Us.’ For Decades, Myanmar Sought to Drive Out Rohingya," 23 Nov. 2018 But the idea that Iran, which was cooperating with the nuclear deal before the U.S. violated its end of the bargain, will accede to any of these diktats is a mirage, as Pompeo surely knows. — Benjamin Hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Pompeo Unveils Hyperaggressive Iran Strategy That Hints at Regime Change," 21 May 2018 Other diktats caution against conveying any sense of Chinese superiority, or claims that China can easily crush America in a trade war. — The Economist, "In its trade war with America, China dials down the hype," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'diktat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for diktat

diktat

noun

English Language Learners Definition of diktat

disapproving : an order that must be followed

See the full definition for diktat in the English Language Learners Dictionary

diktat

Definition of diktat

Synonyms for diktat

Did You Know?

Examples of diktat in a Sentence

First Known Use of diktat

History and Etymology for diktat

English Language Learners Definition of diktat

diktat

Definition of diktat

Synonyms for diktat

Did You Know?

Examples of diktat in a Sentence

First Known Use of diktat

History and Etymology for diktat

English Language Learners Definition of diktat

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