dictate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
-
an authoritative order or command.
-
a guiding or governing principle, requirement, etc..
to follow the dictates of one's conscience.
- Synonyms:
- bidding
verb
-
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
-
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
-
am dictatingprogressive
-
are dictatingprogressive
-
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:
I would have thought that one of the advantages of being super rich is that you no longer have to let money dictate your choices.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
I’m used to it, but please don’t dictate a response to this column on your next flight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
She knows how to speak, dictate orders and ideas.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
"You need to build your own rhythm. You can't just whizz the ball around quickly all the time so you need players in midfield who can dictate it," White told the Women's Football Weekly podcast.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
In politics, no matter how much one plans, circumstances often dictate events.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Every plan runs on a written document, and that document dictates what you’re allowed to do with your own money.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
The same logic dictates the "forced march" the hopefuls must undergo -- the final exercise required to earn the paratrooper's beret.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 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
The plot of “Cape Fear” dictates that this sporting tale of homicidal pettiness can only end one way.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
He dictates to them in Irish and makes me correct what they’ve written.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
Online thrifters like that they save money, help reduce waste and can ignore trends dictated by the industry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The economic war in the Persian Gulf is dictated as much by how much the countries in the region can move their exports over land rather than through the Strait of Hormuz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
This is often because studios themselves dictated the stories and angles being written about.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
Nor should it be dictated by your RMDs.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Cambodia’s tropical climate is dictated by the monsoons, which bring heavy rain from May to October.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
"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
Unison said the breakthrough created a route towards a ballot of its membership, without the council dictating the union's recommendation or communications.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
“When you go ‘pace,’ you’re dictating what the defense does.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
He was used to dictating to grown men.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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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.
