mandate
Definitions
An official authority or command to act, especially one given to a government by voters
授权，委任；（选民给予政府的）授权
A binding official order or instruction
正式指令，命令
To officially require or order something
强制规定；正式授权
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedmand (put into one's hand, from mandāre) + -ate = an order or trust placed in your hands that you are both authorized and obliged to carry out. In politics it is the authority voters hand to a winner; in law and policy it is a binding instruction. Note the stress shift: the noun is MAN-date, the verb man-DATE.
Root mand still carries 33 more wordsUsage Guide
- Stress: noun MAN-date (a mandate from voters) vs verb man-DATE (the rules mandate masks).
- Politics: 'a mandate to govern' — the moral authority an election confers.
- Law/policy (formal): 'federal mandate,' 'mandate that...' — a binding requirement.
- Verb is largely AmE in the 'require by law' sense; BrE often prefers 'require' or 'make compulsory.'
Example Sentences
- 1.
The new government claimed a clear mandate for reform.
- 2.
The law mandates that all drivers carry insurance.
- 3.
The agency was given a broad mandate to investigate fraud.