1. That which is proclaimed by a legal authority as a rule of action; an order issued by a sovereign to his subjects; an ordinance or proclamation having the force of law: There were edicts of the Roman praetors, and later by the emperors, and then by French monarchs.

The "Edict of Nantes" was issued by Henry IV of France which granted toleration to Protestants; then this edict was revoked by Louis XIV.
2. An order or decree that is authorized by someone who has the power to enforce laws or to determine what is legal or illegal: The government issued an edict requiring men between the ages of 18 and 30 to join the military in order to defend their country against an evading army.

The mayor, with the support of the city counsel, issued an edict that prohibited people from walking with their dogs without leashes so their pets could be controlled in order to keep them from being run over by cars passing by.

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