What does decreed mean?
"Decreed" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "decree," meaning to have ordered or officially decided something with the full weight of legal, governmental, royal, or divine authority. When a parliament, court, monarch, or ruling body has decreed something, the decision is binding rather than advisory. The word also extends metaphorically to fate or providence, as when events seem "decreed" by destiny. It belongs to a formal register, appearing most often in historical writing, legal documents, scripture, and literature, and it frequently occurs in the passive construction "it was decreed that." The term connotes finality and unquestionable authority: what has been decreed is settled. Its Latin root, decernere, meant to judge or determine by decision, underscoring the word's long association with authoritative judgment.
verbPast tense and past participle of "decree": to order or officially decide something with the authority of a ruler, government, court, or other body with legal or formal power.
- (of a person or body with authority) to have ordered or decided something officially, especially by legal or formal decree
- (of fate, destiny, or God) to have determined or destined something to happen
"The king decreed that all taxes on grain be abolished."
"The council decreed that the old bridge be closed to all traffic."
"It seemed decreed from birth that she would inherit the family estate."
When a king decreed something, it wasn't a suggestion — the word comes from Latin decernere, "to judge," so every decree carried the weight of a verdict.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of decreed
"Decreed" derives from "decree," which entered English via Old French "decret" from Latin "decretum," meaning "something decided or established," the past participle of "decernere" — literally to sift or judge, formed from "de-" (away) plus "cernere" (to sift, distinguish, or decide). The same Latin root gives English words such as "discern," "discretion," and "certain." The verb sense of issuing an official order developed in English during the late medieval period, and "decreed" has served as its standard past tense ever since.
Related word forms
How decreed is actually used
"Decreed" is formal in register and typically appears in historical, legal, religious, or literary contexts. When used with fate or divine will, it carries a slightly archaic or elevated tone. It commonly appears in the passive construction "it was decreed that..."
Easily confused with decreed
"Decree" is the noun meaning an official order or the base form of the verb, while "decreed" is its past tense or past participle form.
"Degree" refers to a unit of measurement, an academic qualification, or a stage in a scale, whereas "decreed" means formally ordered by authority — they differ by one letter but share no meaning.