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
-
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
-
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:
"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
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
“My role is to present the case and the supporting evidence, not dictate the verdict.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
“I’m afraid it’s impossible, Jo. Aunt says Amy, decidedly, and it is not for us to dictate when she offers such a favor.”
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
The Tapestry’s sensitivity to light dictates this simple but stunning exhibition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
“The market dictates the price,” Espino de Marotta said in an interview.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
For now, the strategists say the “summer consensus” that dictates buying assets that are perceived as riskier, such as stocks, is still in place.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 28, 2026
The bulks list rather dictates what ingredients compounding pharmacies can use when mixing custom medications for patients with a specific prescription.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Matter changes hands, atoms flow in and out, molecules pivot, proteins stitch together, mitochondria send out their oxidative dictates; we begin as a microscopic electrical swarm.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
But clan representatives said that reports of Oyo having a son were not sufficient because the child had not been formally presented to the royal clan as dictated by Tooro tradition.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
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
For more than a quarter-century, a lawsuit settlement from a case brought in Los Angeles federal court has dictated conditions for children held in immigration detention.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
The real culprit was the culture of the lab, as dictated by Lawrence.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
"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
Several figures at the club still regard him as the profile the squad is missing now, a controlling midfielder capable of dictating tempo in a way nobody currently on the books quite replicates.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
We find her dictating instructions through that landline, in perfect French, to her atelier in Paris while making notebook scribbles under the covers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 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
The house was taking over again, and dictating to him about what he must feel and do.
From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill
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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.
