dictate
verb (used with object)
to say or read (something) aloud for another person to transcribe or for a machine to record.
are dictating
-
present progressiveof dictate.present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
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.
And of course, the irony is that these people who are notoriously bad at communicating themselves are the ones who are dictating how we in fact communicate to each other.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
"If the sheep are dictating safety and the wolves are not, then there's no purpose," Brockman said Musk allegedly told employees at the time.
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
As supply constraints in the Middle East ripple across regions, pricing dynamics are dictating where the pinch hits hardest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
Stokes, never short of a funky idea, has suggested that a weather-shortened match could play into England's hands, his theory being they are at their best when they are dictating the pace of a game.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2023
Now, six months later, we are in the midst of that stern Epilogue—in which a leagued Europe and America are dictating to Germany the penalties by which alone she may purge her desperate offence.
From Fields of Victory by Mrs. Humphry Ward
