dictate
Americanverb (used with object)
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dictates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dictated,
past participle, past
-
dictating
present participle
-
to say or read (something) aloud for another person to transcribe or for a machine to record.
to dictate some letters to a secretary.
-
to prescribe or lay down authoritatively or peremptorily; command unconditionally.
to dictate peace terms to a conquered enemy.
verb (used without object)
-
dictates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
dictated,
past participle, past
-
dictating
present participle
-
to say or read aloud something to be written down by a person or recorded by a machine.
-
to give orders.
noun
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dictates
plural
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an authoritative order or command.
-
a guiding or governing principle, requirement, etc..
to follow the dictates of one's conscience.
- Synonyms:
- bidding
verb
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to say (messages, letters, speeches, etc) aloud for mechanical recording or verbatim transcription by another person
-
(tr) to prescribe (commands) authoritatively
-
(intr) to act in a tyrannical manner; seek to impose one's will on others
noun
-
an authoritative command
-
a guiding principle or rule
the dictates of reason
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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redictateverb
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predictateverb (used with object)
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misdictatedadjective
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undictatedadjective
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dictatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dictatesimple
-
dictatessimple
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have dictatedperfect
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has dictatedperfect
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am dictatingprogressive
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are dictatingprogressive
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is dictatingprogressive
-
have been dictatingperfect progressive
-
has been dictatingperfect progressive
Past
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dictatedsimple
-
had dictatedperfect
-
was dictatingprogressive
-
were dictatingprogressive
-
had been dictatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dictate
First recorded in 1585–95; from Latin dictātus “said repeatedly,” past participle of dictāre “to say repeatedly, order, prescribe,” from dīcere “to say, speak, tell”
Explanation
When you dictate something, you are giving orders — acting a bit like a dictator. Dictate can also be used in a broader sense. Weather often dictates how many layers of clothes you wear, and the school rules dictate how you behave in and out of class. In a very different meaning, dictate means to say something out loud to a person or into a machine so it can be recorded. Up until fairly recently, bosses dictated letters and reports to secretaries who wrote them down.
Vocabulary lists containing dictate
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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You Can Say That Again: Dic and Dict
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He refused to let Fox’s presenters dictate the terms of the conversation.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026
He also said the EU, as von der Leyen pledged last month, should "work more closely with middle powers like Canada, which share an interest in rules that no power or company can dictate".
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
But if a gap remains and an impasse ultimately is declared, the supervisors no longer would dictate the final offer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
But major-league rules dictate that somebody had to end up on top of the American League West, perhaps the most pitiful division in the history of the sport.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
This fact alone enabled Wall Street firms to dictate to him the market price.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
“The market dictates the price,” Espino de Marotta said in an interview.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Social Security’s full retirement age dictates when beneficiaries get 100% of what they’re owed in benefits, but the current rule has become outdated now that many Americans are living longer, experts said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
Even when intergalactic forces take pains to make the Lantern Corps’ selection process fair, Earth’s unspoken dictates about worthiness make that impossible.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
By mining their trove of human DNA, Regeneron scientists discovered what he calls the “laziness gene,” which dictates whether a person is inherently sedentary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Even as we stand on the street corner, it dictates our destiny.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
This is often because studios themselves dictated the stories and angles being written about.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
Whether or not you do a Roth conversion in your 80s will also be dictated by your deductions and advice from the aforementioned CFP on what taxes you will pay during your “conversion window.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
The exact terms of the AI funding arrangement are vague and will likely be dictated by what investors will agree to.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
At Aston Martin, Lance Stroll finished in 13th, ahead of team-mate Fernando Alonso, their positions dictated to a degree by luck under the VSC and their divergent strategies.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Matt dictated his answer to Jethro and then signed his own trembling signature.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
"There's no magic line" dictating what defines a nation, he told AFP, but noted Alberta's case for nationhood appears harder to make than that of other groups, like Catalans, Scots and French-speaking Canadians in Quebec.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
“Catchers, I think it’s the most important position on the field. They’re the ones calling pitches, dictating game flow, rhythm, all that type of stuff. I’m going to trust those guys always.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
Activists and protesters see the focus on women as an effort to use India’s strict social norms dictating women’s behavior to tarnish the protests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Some communities have strong cultural traditions dictating who should fill the caretaker role — in many cases, that’s the eldest daughter.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
It would seem that these two theories could live in harmony together, each dictating the rules of physics for different aspects of the universe.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
