commandment

noun

com·​mand·​ment kə-ˈman(d)-mənt How to pronounce commandment (audio)
1
: the act or power of commanding
2
: something that is commanded
especially : one of the biblical Ten Commandments

Examples of commandment in a Sentence

the Ten Commandments in the Bible the boss left behind a list of commandments for running the office while he was away
Recent Examples on the Web There is a legend that says there are as many seeds in a pomegranate as there are commandments in the Torah, the Bible of the Jewish people, known to many others as the Old Testament. Jamaica Kincaid, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 In celebration of her new book, titled Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, Parton shared her fashion commandments with Vogue's senior fashion and style writer Christian Allaire. Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2023 Romans were contemptuous of the practice, maligning Jews as lazy, but even within Judaism interpretations of the commandment to rest varied in the ancient world, with people differing over not only what constituted appropriate worship but what constituted inappropriate work. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2023 Pomegranate seeds also represent the 613 mitzvot, or commandments, that are cited in the Torah, the Jewish holy book. Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 9 Sep. 2023 In 2003 the Court of the Judiciary booted him from office for refusing to remove a huge 10 commandments monument from the Supreme Court building. John Archibald | Jarchibald@al.com, al, 8 Sep. 2023 Greetings and commemorations are not commandments that recipients are expected to follow. Miss Manners | Judith Martin, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Sep. 2023 English: Blessed are you, Adonai our God, ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us to light the (Shabbat and) Yom Kippur candles. Jamie Kravitz, Woman's Day, 28 Aug. 2023 If there were a ten commandments for beauty, thou shall cleanse your face every night and thou shall never sleep in your makeup would definitely be on there. Annie Blay, Allure, 1 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commandment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of commandment was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near commandment

Cite this Entry

“Commandment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commandment. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

commandment

noun
com·​mand·​ment kə-ˈman(d)-mənt How to pronounce commandment (audio)
: something commanded
especially : one of the biblical Ten Commandments

More from Merriam-Webster on commandment

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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