dictation
Americannoun
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the act or manner of dictating for reproduction in writing.
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the act or manner of transcribing words uttered by another.
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words that are dictated or that are reproduced from dictation.
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the playing or singing of music to be notated by a listener, especially as a technique of training the ear.
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music notated from dictation.
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the act of commanding arbitrarily.
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something commanded.
noun
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the act of dictating material to be recorded or taken down in writing
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the material dictated
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authoritative commands or the act of giving them
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dictation
1650–60; < Late Latin dictātiōn- (stem of dictātiō ) a dictating < Latin dictāt ( us ) ( see dictate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
If your boss asks you to take dictation, then she’s going to say stuff out loud that she wants you to document in writing. When she begins dictation make sure you write down everything she says — no doodling. If you’re a famous writer you might hire someone to take dictation so you can just speak and someone will write or type what you say. Dictation can describe the process of documenting spoken words, or the written words themselves. If you see an old movie with a man in a suit telling his secretary, "take this down," he's about to give dictation. A dictation can also be a command, like your dad's dictation that you mow the lawn.
Vocabulary lists containing dictation
Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 1
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"The Necklace" and "The Fashion Show"
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Essential Word Roots: Dic and Dict
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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.
Dictation isn’t new technology, but until recently it hardly worked well enough to fulfill basic tasks.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026
"We are aware of an issue with the speech recognition model that powers Dictation and we are rolling out a fix today," an Apple spokesperson said.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2025
Another goal of The Big Dictation was to break the record for the largest dictation event ever.
From NewsForKids.net • Jun. 8, 2023
He also uses Dragon Dictation to respond to emails and fill in spreadsheets.
From Seattle Times • May 29, 2023
Dictation to a stenographer is an easy way of preparing "copy" for the printer, but it is responsible for the decadence of literary style among English and American authors.
From Comfort Found in Good Old Books by Fitch, George Hamlin
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.
