Hypertext Webster Gateway: "fiat"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Fiat \Fi"at\, n. [L., let it be done, 3d pers. sing., subj.
pres., fr. fieri, used as pass. of facere to make. Cf. {Be}.]
1. An authoritative command or order to do something; an
effectual decree.
His fiat laid the corner stone. --Willis.
2. (Eng. Law)
(a) A warrant of a judge for certain processes.
(b) An authority for certain proceedings given by the Lord
Chancellor's signature.
{Fiat money}, irredeemable paper currency, not resting on a
specie basis, but deriving its purchasing power from the
declaratory fiat of the government issuing it.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
fiat
n : a legally binding command or decision entered on the court
record (as if issued by a court or judge); "a friend in
New Mexico said that the order caused no trouble out
there" [syn: {decree}, {edict}, {order}, {rescript}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.