diktat: Meaning and Definition of

dik•tat

Pronunciation: (dik-tät'), [key]
— n.
  1. a harsh, punitive settlement or decree imposed unilaterally on a defeated nation, political party, etc.
  2. any decree or authoritative statement: The Board of Education issued a diktat that all employees must report an hour earlier.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.