dictate
verb (used with object)
to say or read (something) aloud for another person to transcribe or for a machine to record.
dictating
-
present participleof dictate.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
"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
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
Two years of dictating that everyone commute into work on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays was hurting the morale as well as the productivity of many.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
June 13—I’m dictating this under great emotional strain.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
