Dirigat

Dirigat is a term used in speculative fiction and constructed-world projects to denote a centralized governance and resource-management framework. It is a neologism blending the Latin dirigo, meaning to direct, with modern coinage; there is no single canonical origin, and usage varies by author and setting.

In many depictions, a dirigat refers to a political or administrative entity—often a city, federation, or network of districts—whose decisions are coordinated by a central directive authority. This directive is typically described as an algorithmic or technocratic system that sets policy, allocates resources, and governs movement within the territory. Human oversight is usually portrayed as necessary for ethical checks, though some narratives emphasize the primacy of automated decision-making.

Structure within a dirigat narrative commonly features multiple layers: a core council or bureau that issues directives, a technical layer that maintains the directive network, and local administrations responsible for implementation.

Citizens may participate through formalized assemblies or representative bodies, but the central authority claims legitimacy by claiming efficiency, security, and long-term planning.

In fiction, dirigats are used to explore tensions between collective welfare and individual rights, the transparency of algorithmic governance, and the resilience of centralized systems under stress. They appear across novels, role-playing games, and multimedia worlds, sometimes as utopian models and other times as critiques of technocracy.

Real-world use is limited to literature, games, and theory discussions; there is no recognized real-world institution called the Dirigat. See also: Dirigisme, dirigible, central planning, AI governance.