also: みことのり · しょう
noun
imperial decree; imperial edict
A command, proclamation, or edict issued by an emperor. The word belongs mainly to historical, classical, legal-historical, or imperial contexts; 勅 is typically read ちょく, while 詔 is often read みことのり in older or literary usage.
天皇の勅により、使者が派遣された。
By imperial decree, an envoy was dispatched.
古代の天皇は詔を出して方針を示した。
Ancient emperors issued imperial edicts to state their policies.
Native Japanese reading for an imperial edict; common in historical, classical, or literary contexts.
Attested on-reading of 詔; learners are more likely to meet 詔 as みことのり or in compounds such as 詔書.
Old explanatory-style spelling for みことのり; useful for recognition, but not a normal modern spelling.
Refers specifically to a written imperial rescript or proclamation; 勅／詔 is the more general word for an imperial edict.
A more specific legal-historical term for an imperial ordinance, especially associated with prewar constitutional systems.
Means an emperor's formal words or address; it emphasizes the utterance or message rather than the decree as an order.
みことのり is a native term traditionally associated with the spelling 御言宣, roughly 'august words/proclamation.' 勅 and 詔 are conventional kanji spellings for imperial edicts; no detailed historical derivation is specified.