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
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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
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(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
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undictatedadjective
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dictatinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dictatesimple
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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
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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:
He is not necessarily the midfielder United would rely on to dictate possession.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
His comments will dictate the path forward for a tech-crazed stock market and an economy hoping the boom won’t go bust.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
In the short term, the Federal Reserve sets interest rates that dictate what businesses and individuals pay to borrow money.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Clippers did not negotiate or dictate the terms of Kawhi’s endorsement agreements or determine what he would be paid.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
For instance, the speed at which a device delivers information can dictate how drawn we are to it.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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
By mining their trove of human DNA, Regeneron scientists discovered what he calls the “laziness gene,” which dictates whether a person is inherently sedentary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The plot of “Cape Fear” dictates that this sporting tale of homicidal pettiness can only end one way.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Furthermore, Lord Biggar challenges the core premise of Project Spire and reparatory justice as a whole - that historic suffering directly dictates modern disadvantage.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
That consideration dictates single authorship, despite all the difficulties that it poses.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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
If no one claims the prize by next Thursday, the money will go to public schools in California as dictated by the statute.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
But first, that price would deliver 35 million shares to Musk, as dictated in last year’s pay pact from Tesla.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
In a Facebook post in which she also posted a letter asking to be relieved of her duties, Stefanishyna said the decision was her own and "dictated by personal circumstances".
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
He is not certain which option bothers him more: involving Isobel in the game or relinquishing the one relationship in his life that has not been dictated for him.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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 Kimi K3 model has 2.8 trillion parameters dictating its decision-making and is the world’s biggest open-source model, according to the Beijing-based AI startup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Barcelona's Busquets was a revelation in the 2010 World Cup alongside stalwart Alonso in central midfield, together breaking up play and dictating games in front of the Spain backline.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
“People seem to be obsessed with now dictating what I’ll do and when?!”
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
General Sykes was sitting there, smoking a cigar, staring down at some papers, dictating an order.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
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.
