Rozkaz

Rozkaz is a Polish noun meaning an order, command, or directive issued by an authority. It describes a formal instruction that obligates recipients to perform a particular action or to refrain from it. The term is widely used in military, police, civil service, and organizational contexts, as well as in everyday bureaucratic language.

Etymology: It derives from the verb kazać “to order,” with the prefix roz- forming a noun that denotes the act or result of commanding.

Usage: In practice, rozkaz conveys a sense of compulsion and hierarchical authority. It typically appears as a written instruction issued by a superior or an official body. In contrast, polecenie tends to refer to a directive or instruction that is less formal, while zarządzenie or dekret may denote an official regulation or decree. The term nakaz is often used for a formal legal or urgent mandate. In military usage, rozkaz governs the actions of units and personnel; disobeying a rozkaz can have disciplinary consequences.

See also: Polecenie, Nakaz, Zarządzenie, Dekret.

Rozkaz and its equivalents illustrate how languages distinguish between formal, legal, and administrative directions, and how context shapes the force and applicability of an instruction.