dictate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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)
-
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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an authoritative order or command.
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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
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(tr) to prescribe (commands) authoritatively
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(intr) to act in a tyrannical manner; seek to impose one's will on others
noun
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an authoritative command
-
a guiding principle or rule
the dictates of reason
Other Word Forms
- dictatingly adverb
- misdictated adjective
- predictate verb (used with object)
- redictate verb
- undictated adjective
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”
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.
If he is going to allow his parents and his salary to dictate whether or not you wed, that’s a choice, and it implies that the answer may be hiding in plain sight.
From MarketWatch
But despite this, Finlay said he was determined to not let these fears dictate his life.
From BBC
Feminists countered that it was not up to the state to "dictate to women if they should have children and when".
From Barron's
If the well-being of American posterity dictates our policy decisions, fixing this problem should be our first step.
MILAN—At the Winter Olympics, there is only one event that dictates the specific musical genre for athletes.
Definitions 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.
