also: じょうめい
noun
imperial command; imperial decree
Formal term for an order issued by an emperor. Often used in historical or official contexts. Compare with 勅命, which is more common.
See also: 勅命
詔命が下り、全国に布告された。
An imperial command was issued and proclaimed throughout the country.
その政策は詔命によって定められた。
The policy was established by imperial decree.
勅命 is a more common term for an imperial order, while 詔命 is rarer and more formal.
From Middle Chinese 詔命 (MC tsyewH mjaengH), meaning 'imperial command'. The reading しょうめい is the standard Sino-Japanese reading; じょうめい is an obsolete variant.