ukase

noun

1. (in czarist Russia) an edict or order of the czar having the force of law.
2. any order or proclamation by an absolute or arbitrary authority.

noun

1. (in imperial Russia) an edict of the tsar
2. a rare word for edict

n.1729, “decree issued by a Russian emperor,” from Russian ukaz “edict,” from ukazat’ “to show, decree,” from Old Church Slavonic ukazati, from u-, intensive prefix, + kazati “to show, order,” which is related to the first element of Casimir.