commandment

• commaundment (obsolete)

Borrowed from Old French comandement, from comander. See command.

commandment (countable and uncountable, plural commandments)

1. (archaic) Something that must be obeyed; a command or edict.
   • c. 1610, William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale, Act II, Scene 2,

     Paulina. Pray you then,

     Conduct me to the queen.

     Gaoler. I may not, madam:

     To the contrary I have express commandment.

   • 1611, King James Version of the Bible, John 13:34,

     A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

2. (obsolete) The act of commanding; exercise of authority.
   • c. 1599, William Shakespeare, As You Like it, Act II, Scene 7,

     Speak you so gently? Pardon me, I pray you;

     I thought that all things had been savage here,

     And therefore put I on the countenance

     Of stern commandment.

3. (law) The offence of commanding or inducing another to violate the law.