The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Decree \De*cree"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Decreed; p. pr. & vb.
   n. Decreeing.]
   1. To determine judicially by authority, or by decree; to
      constitute by edict; to appoint by decree or law; to
      determine; to order; to ordain; as, a court decrees a
      restoration of property.
      [1913 Webster]

            Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be
            established unto thee.                --Job xxii.
                                                  28.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To ordain by fate.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Decree \De*cree"\, n. [OE. decre, F. d['e]cret, fr. L. decretum,
   neut. decretus, p. p. of decernere to decide; de- + cernere
   to decide. See Certain, and cf. Decreet, Decretal.]
   1. An order from one having authority, deciding what is to be
      done by a subordinate; also, a determination by one having
      power, deciding what is to be done or to take place;
      edict, law; authoritative ru?? decision. "The decrees of
      Venice." --Sh???.
      [1913 Webster]

            There went out a decree from C[ae]sar Augustus that
            all the world should be taxed.        --Luke ii. 1.
      [1913 Webster]

            Poor hand, why quiverest thou at this decree?
                                                  --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Law)
      (a) A decision, order, or sentence, given in a cause by a
          court of equity or admiralty.
      (b) A determination or judgment of an umpire on a case
          submitted to him. --Brande.
          [1913 Webster]

   3. (Eccl.) An edict or law made by a council for regulating
      any business within their jurisdiction; as, the decrees of
      ecclesiastical councils.

   Syn: Law; regulation; edict; ordinance. See Law.
        [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Decree \De*cree"\, v. i.
   To make decrees; -- used absolutely.
   [1913 Webster]

         Father eternal! thine is to decree;
         Mine, both in heaven and earth to do thy will.
                                                  --Milton.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

decree
    n 1: a legally binding command or decision entered on the court
         record (as if issued by a court or judge); "a friend in New
         Mexico said that the order caused no trouble out there"
         [syn: decree, edict, fiat, order, rescript]
    v 1: issue a decree; "The King only can decree"
    2: decide with authority; "The King decreed that all firstborn
       males should be killed" [syn: rule, decree]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

176 Moby Thesaurus words for "decree":
   act, act on, action, adjudge, announcement, appointment, authorize,
   award, behest, bid, bidding, bill, brevet, bull, bylaw, call on,
   call the signals, call upon, canon, charge, charging, choose,
   choose to, command, commission, compel, condemn, condemnation,
   consideration, constitute, constrain, decide, decision,
   declaration, declare, declare lawful, decree-law, decreement,
   decretal, decretum, deliverance, demand, desire, determination,
   determine, diagnosis, dictate, dictation, dictum, diktat, direct,
   direction, directive, doom, edict, edictum, enact, enact laws,
   enactment, enjoin, establish, fiat, filibuster, find, find against,
   find for, finding, force, foredestiny, foregone conclusion,
   foreknowledge, foreordination, form, formality, formula, formulary,
   formulate, get the floor, give an order, give the word,
   have the floor, impose, injunction, institution, instruct,
   instruction, ipse dixit, issue a command, issue a writ, judgement,
   jus, kill, law, lay down, legalize, legislate, legislation,
   legitimate, legitimatize, legitimize, lex, lobby through, logroll,
   make a regulation, make legal, mandate, manifesto, measure,
   necessity, oblige, ordain, order, order about, ordinance,
   ordonnance, pass, pass judgment, pass sentence, pigeonhole, pocket,
   precedent, precept, predestination, predetermination,
   preordination, prescience, prescribe, prescript, prescription,
   proclaim, proclamation, prognosis, promulgate, promulgation,
   pronounce, pronounce judgment, pronounce on, pronouncement,
   pronunciamento, put in force, put through, railroad through,
   regulate, regulation, report, require, rescript, resolution,
   resolve, return a verdict, roll logs, rubric, rule, ruling,
   sanction, say the word, see fit, senatus consult,
   senatus consultum, sentence, set, standing order, statute, table,
   take the floor, think fit, think good, think proper, ukase,
   utter a judgment, validate, verdict, veto, will, wish,
   yield the floor



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

DECREE, practice. The judgment or sentence of a court of equity.
     2. It is either interlocutory or final. The former is given on some
plea or issue arising in the cause, which does not decide the main question;
the latter settles the matter in dispute, and a final decree has the same
effect as a judgment at law. 2  Madd. Ch. 462; 1 Chan. Cas. 27; 2 Vern. 89;
4 Bro. P. C. 287.; Vide 7r-Vin[?]. Ab. 394; 7 Com. Dig. 445; 1 Supp. to Ves.
Jr. 223 Bouv. Inst. Index, h.t.



Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):

DECREE, legislation. In some countries as in France, some acts of the
legislature, or of the sovereign, which have the force of law, are called
decrees; as, the Berlin and Milan decrees.