noun
writ
The power to exercise authority over people or a place.
The central government's writ does not extend to these remote villages.
Etymology
A writ is an authoritative written command. The word broadened from the document to the authority whose command operates within a territory.
More examples
- The mayor's writ stops at the city limits.
- The agency's writ extends to every federally insured bank.
- Beyond the capital, the government's writ carries little weight.
Similar words
- authority
- The broader, everyday term for power to govern or direct.
- jurisdiction
- Emphasizes legally defined limits of official power.
- power
- Can mean practical control without any recognized right to govern.