Fiat Meaning in English

word

US

UK

Definition

A fiat is an official order or decree given by someone with authority. It can also refer to an arbitrary command that must be obeyed.

Usage & Nuances

"Fiat" is formal and often used in legal, governmental, or academic contexts. Common collocations: "by fiat," "government fiat," "presidential fiat." It can carry a negative sense of power used without discussion. In economics, "fiat money" means currency not backed by a commodity.

• Spanish: decreto - orden
• Portuguese (BR): decreto - ordem
• Portuguese (PT): decreto - ordem
• Chinese (Simplified): 法令 - 命令
• Chinese (Traditional): 法令 - 命令
• Hindi: आदेश (सरकारी) - फरमान
• Arabic: مرسوم - أمر
• Bengali: আদেশ - নির্দেশ - ডিক্রি
• Russian: указ - декрет - распоряжение
• Japanese: 命令 - 布告
• Vietnamese: chỉ thị - sắc lệnh - mệnh lệnh
• Korean: 명령 - 법령 - 지시
• Turkish: ferman - kararname - buyruk
• Urdu: حکم - فرمان - سرکاری حکم
• Indonesian: dekret - perintah resmi

Example Sentences

The new law was created by presidential fiat.

basic

The company closed the branch by executive fiat.

basic

The judge issued a legal fiat.

basic

They imposed the rule by sheer fiat, without consulting anyone.

natural

Not everything can be solved by government fiat.

natural

Our country's currency is fiat money—it's valuable because people trust it, not because it's backed by gold.

natural