1
- an official order issued by a ruler or authority that has the force of law法令。
1.1
- mass noun the issuing of such an order法令的颁布：
the king ruled by decree.
国王依法治国。
1.2
- a judgement or decision of certain law courts, especially in matrimonial cases（尤指对婚姻案件的）裁决, 判决。
(decrees, decreed, decreeing)with obj.
- order (something) by decree依法命令：
the government decreed a ban on any contact with the guerrillas
政府下令禁止与游击队有任何联系
with clause the president decreed that the military was to be streamlined.总统命令精简军队。
词源
Middle English (denoting an edict 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'.