Definition of "fiat"

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

1788, Alexander Hamilton, Federalist no. 73

Beatrice raised her head: she looked at me as if on my words hung the fiat of life or death, fear and earnestness dilating her dark eyes—for an unconfessed hope had arisen within her.

1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), page 142

It must be an absolute fiat - something of the nature of a Mystery or of Religion or Magic - and not to be disputed.

1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., published 1921, page 195

The increases from December 4 in the prices of table d'hôte meals in British Railways restaurant cars were expected, in view both of a general upward trend in meal prices in the catering trade and of the fiat that train meals must pay for themselves.

1962 February, “Talking of Trains: Dearer meals in B.R. trains”, in Modern Railways, page 78

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.

1888, Lew Wallace, Life of Gen. Ben Harrison, page 281

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.

1892, Thomas Wallace Knox, The Republican Party and Its Leaders: A History of the Party from Its Beginning to the Present Time... Lives of Harrison and Reid, page 403

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].

1896, Charles McClellan Stevens, Free Silver and the People: A Campaign Hand-book for the Struggling Millions Against the Gold-hoarding Millionaires, page 211

All silver content in coins had to be removed from the currency supply, and fiat coins (or tokens) had to take their place.

2003, Moriah Saul, Plantation Earth: The Cross of Iron and the Chains of Debt, Trafford Publishing, page 83

[…] a unit of a fiat medium of exchange like the dollar bill. Like fiat money, gold has an unstable value in relation to other goods and services. The stock of gold is historically given and cannot rapidly accommodate changes in demand.

2013 November 11, James A. Dorn, William A. Niskanen, Dollars Deficits & Trade, Springer Science & Business Media, page 44