How many letters does the top answer for “an authoritative direction or instruction to do something” have?

The most common answer is bidding (7 letters).

Crossword clue: an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

2 answers found in Letterora's clue database (Wikidata facts, Open Trivia DB, WordNet and Webster definitions — all licensed sources).

bidding 7 letters wn-def

an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

command 7 letters wn-def

an authoritative direction or instruction to do something