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fiat

noun
/ˈfaɪæt/

Etymology

Back-formation from Fiat as a backronym. From the tendency of Fiat automobiles to apocryphally be always in need of repair. From Italian FIAT, from Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino (“Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin”)

  1. derived from FIAT

Definitions

  1. An arbitrary or authoritative command or order to do something

    An arbitrary or authoritative command or order to do something; an effectual decree.

    • A royal fiat.
    • A presidential fiat.
    • The reflection that the fate of a fellow-creature depended on his sole fiat, would naturally inspire scrupulousness and caution; [...]

  2. Authorization, permission or (official) sanction.

    • A government fiat.
    • To rule by fiat.

  3. A warrant of a judge for certain processes.

  4. ›+ 7 more definitions

    1. An authority for certain proceedings given by the Lord Chancellor's signature.

    2. (Pertaining to) fiat currency.

      • But let us trace a little more particularly the differences between the "fiat" dollar and the greenback. The greenback, in common with every bank note any of you have ever seen, contains a promise to pay dollars.
      • But, say these men who claim for our Congress creative power, we will pass a law making these 'fiat' dollars legal tender for all debts, public and private.
      • The gold dollar is as much a fiat dollar as the silver dollar or a paper dollar, for none of them are money without this fiat [of the government, that it is legal tender].

    3. To make (something) happen.

    4. To issue a fiat.

      • For quotations using this term, see Citations:fiat.

    5. An automobile manufactured by the Italian firm Fiat S.p.A.

      • Even as a young feminist who was very angry at men, a real ballbuster, I had a boyfriend who drove a Fiat, I was always fashionable, even though it was hippie gear.
      • We'd watched Marion pile her three kids and their stuff into an old Fiat 124 I was sure Dad must have picked for her; she didn't look like a Fiat driver at heart.
      • You are jet-lagged, have a headache, can't stand driving a Fiat, it's turned dark and you cannot see or read the road signs.

    6. Initialism of fix it again Tony.

    7. Alternative form of Fiat.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for fiat. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA