An official or authoritative command; an order or injunction; a commission; a judicial precept. This dream all-powerful Juno; I bear Her mighty mandates, and her words you hear. Dryden.
A rescript of the pope, commanding an ordinary collator to put the person therein named in possession of the first vacant benefice in his collation.
A contract by which one employs another to manage any business for him. By the Roman law, it must have been gratuitous. Erskine.
98,828 entries. Headwords are matched first, then definition text.