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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DIKTAT

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pronounce DIKTAT:

dick TOT
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connect this word to others:

Everywhere you look in English, you can see wispy little shadows of the Latin word dicere, meaning "to say" or "to speak."

Dicere gave us terms like predict, contradict, dictionary, v__dicate ("to prove someone's innocence"), b___diction ("a prayer for someone"), m___bile dictu ("wonderful to say"), and the one we're checking out today, diktat.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)    

definition:

"Diktat," which traces back to the same Latin root as our words "dictate" and "dictator," looks German because it is!

We took it into English around the year 1922. It was first used to describe a kind of forced or dictated peace in Germany after World War I: Germany had lost the war, and other nations were decreeing, or dictating, that they obey harsh new rules. As the Holocaust Encyclopedia explains it, these rules, including "huge reparation payments and limitations on the German military," felt "particularly oppressive to most Germans." 

So, in a more general sense, a diktat is a harsh or severe command. In other words, it's a strict, controlling rule that someone lays out or enforces, as if with the authority of a victorious nation.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Noun, usually the countable kind: "They issued a diktat;" "They issued a series of diktats."

Sometimes the uncountable kind: "It was issued by diktat."

Other forms: 

The plural noun is "diktats."

how to use it:

When you want a fiercer, harsher, more academic-sounding synonym of "order," "command," or "decree," pick "diktat."

It's rare, but it's pretty easy to understand, especially in context.

You might talk about people issuing, laying out, defending, upholding, rejecting, or rebelling against diktats.

examples:

"People who have settled into one way of doing things often resent it when a newcomer tries to change their ways. A genuine discussion shouldn’t sound like a diktat."
— Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 8 March 2024

"As women inch into middle and then old age, all sorts of unexpected diktats emerge: hair length, skirt length and the depth of your neckline are all subject to the obscure rules of style."
— Sarah Ditum, The Guardian, 25 March 2013

has this page helped you understand "diktat"?

   

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.


study it:

Explain the meaning of "diktat" without saying "dictum" or "command."

try it out:

Although the word "diktat" often has a harsh, serious tone, we can also use it to poke a little fun at self-serious rules. Let's give it that a try.

Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) (ignores, or lives by) the diktat ('Do things this way')."

Example 1: "I try to live by the 'do unto others' diktat."

Example 2: "I ignore the diktat 'Never end a sentence with a preposition.' It's dumb."

Example 3: "Writers might live by the diktat 'write what you know.'"
— Gal Beckerman, New York Times, 24 September 2021




before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for April is "Interpret the Titles: Tim Curry Edition!"

Are you a fan of Tim Curry? (How could anyone not be?) Did you know his birthday is in April? I didn't until I looked it up, but it’s the perfect excuse to base this month's game on his filmography. 

I'll give you the title of some show, movie, or video game that Tim Curry has starred in, along with a summary, and I'll challenge you to interpret the title in three different ways.

To see some examples, and some tips if you get stuck, head here!

Try this one today: "Will & Grace" was a 1998-2020 TV show that briefly guest starred Tim Curry as Marion Finster. According to IMDb, in the show, "Gay lawyer Will and straight interior designer Grace share a New York City apartment. Their best friends are gleeful and proud gay Jack and charismatic, filthy-rich, amoral socialite Karen." A fan adds: "Grace is engaged to a real jerk until the relationship falls apart and she moves in with Will. It's supposed to be temporary, until Grace finds her own place, but more and more it looks like a permanent arrangement." Viewers have praised the show as "fresh, well-acted and written," with characters who are "vulnerable and love each other."

1. It's titled "Will & Grace" because... ?

2. It's titled "Will & Grace" because... ?

3. It's titled "Will & Grace" because... ?

To see some possible answers, scroll all the way down!

review this word:

1. The opposite of a DIKTAT could be

A. a REWARD.
B. a SUGGESTION.
C. a WORK OF ART.

2. Dietary supplements are a wild west for consumers, full of false promises and serious risks. Still, Tamar Haspel argued in the Washington Post that we shouldn't _____, since they give people hope and a sense of feeling better.

A. outright diktat them
B. issue a diktat against them
C. diktat them from the shelves to the pharmacy




Answers to the review questions:
1. B
2. B

Possible answers to the game question:

1. It's titled "Will & Grace" because the two main characters are named Will and Grace.

2. It's titled "Will & Grace" because it's about determination (will) and compassion (grace).In the words of the show's producer, David Kohan, it's about people who follow their hearts with "the will to go after and the grace to receive" what they want.

3. It's titled "Will & Grace" because it's about wishing forcefully for something (willing that it will happen) and providing other people with important things in life (gracing them with friendship, for example).



a final word:


I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.


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A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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