man·date / ˈmanˌdāt/ • n. 1. an official order or commission to do something: a mandate to seek the release of political prisoners. ∎  Law a commission by which a party is entrusted to perform a service, esp. without payment and with indemnity against loss by that party. ∎ Law an order from an appellate court to a lower court to take a specific action. ∎  a written authority enabling someone to carry out transactions on another's bank account. ∎  hist. a commission from the League of Nations to a member state to administer a territory: the British mandate in Palestine.2. the authority to carry out a policy or course of action, regarded as given by the electorate to a candidate or party that is victorious in an election: a sick leader living beyond his mandate. ∎ Can. a period during which a government is in power.• v. [tr.] 1. give (someone) authority to act in a certain way: other colleges have mandated coed fraternities. ∎  require (something) to be done; make mandatory: the government began mandating better car safety.2. hist. assign (territory) under a mandate of the League of Nations: [as adj.] (mandated) mandated territories.

MANDATE

A judicial command, order, or precept, written or oral, from a court; a direction that a court has the authority to give and an individual is bound to obey.

A mandate might be issued upon the decision of an appeal, which directs that a particular action be taken, or upon a disposition made of a case by an inferior tribunal.

The term mandate is also used in reference to an act by which one individual empowers another individual to conduct transactions for an individual in that person's name. In this sense, it is used synonymously with power of attorney.

mandate command, spec. legal or judicial XVI; commission or contract by which one acts for another XVII. — L. mandātum, sb. use of n. pp. of mandāre enjoin, commit, f. manus hand + dare give; see MANUAL, -ATE1.
So mandatary XVII, mandatory XVI. — late L.