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ukase

noun
\ yü-ˈkās How to pronounce ukase (audio) , -ˈkāz, ˈyü-ˌkās, -ˌkāz How to pronounce ukase (audio) ; ü-ˈkäz How to pronounce ukase (audio) \

Definition of ukase

1 : a proclamation by a Russian emperor or government having the force of law
2 : edict
Synonyms Ukase Has Russian Roots Example Sentences Learn More about ukase

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Ukase Has Russian Roots

English speakers adopted ukase more or less simultaneously from French (ukase) and Russian (ukaz) in the early 18th century. The word can be traced further back to the Russian verb ukazat', meaning "to show" or "to order," and its ultimate source is an ancient root that led to similar words in Latin, Sanskrit, and Old Church Slavic. A Russian ukase was a command from the highest levels of government that could not be disobeyed. But by the early 19th century, English speakers were also using ukase generally for any command that seemed to come from a higher authority, particularly one that was final or arbitrary.

Examples of ukase in a Sentence

she brazenly ignored the company's ukase about entering by the back door

Recent Examples on the Web

 After a brief sitting this week, under Johnson’s ukase, Parliament was not scheduled to meet again until Oct. 14, leaving him with a lot of unaccountable power. — E.j. Dionne Jr., The Mercury News, "Dionne: What US gun violence and Brexit have in common," 5 Sep. 2019 Trump must have felt quite confident in issuing his ukase. — Garrett Epps, The Atlantic, "How Trump's Transgender Ban Compromises His Military Authority," 11 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of ukase

1729, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for ukase

French & Russian; French, from Russian ukaz, from ukazat' to show, order; akin to Old Church Slavonic u- away, Latin au-, Sanskrit ava- and to Old Church Slavonic kazati to show

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