Decretum

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A formal ruling or decree issued by an authoritative body, often relating to legal or administrative matters
2. A written document serving as a definitive statement or ruling on a particular issue
3. An official mandate or decision that outlines regulations or guidelines to be followed

Etymology: "Decretum" is Latin, the neuter past participle of "decernere," meaning "to decide" or "to determine." The verb combines "de-" ("off" or "down") with "cernere," which originally meant "to sift" or "to separate," so a decision was, at root, a sifting out of one option from the rest. The Latin noun came to mean a formal resolution, especially one issued by a ruler or authority. English has used "decree" since the 13th century, borrowed through Old French "decret" from the Latin noun. The Latin form itself survives in one famous place: "Decretum" is the title of the twelfth-century compilation of canon law assembled by the monk Gratian in Bologna, which became the first part of the body of Church law known as the Corpus Iuris Canonici. Gratian's collection was known to scholars by this name, and it shaped legal reasoning for centuries.

Synonyms: decree, edict, order, ruling, mandate

Antonyms: appeal, petition