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
-
an authoritative order or command.
-
a guiding or governing principle, requirement, etc..
to follow the dictates of one's conscience.
- Synonyms:
- bidding
verb
-
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
-
are dictatingprogressive
-
is dictatingprogressive
-
have been dictatingperfect progressive
-
has been dictatingperfect progressive
Past
-
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
Keller said he will typically use the time to dictate notes to a transcription app to prepare for meetings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
He refused to let Fox’s presenters dictate the terms of the conversation.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026
On “Just a Kid,” which sounds as jubilant as her breakthrough 2007 hit “Love Song,” she risks strangers’ stares to dictate a voice note in a fit of inspiration about Joseph’s footprint in the world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
In the end, science was going to dictate the course of the NDRC’s program, and the science of the atomic nucleus was on Lawrence’s side.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
The Tapestry’s sensitivity to light dictates this simple but stunning exhibition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 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
Even when intergalactic forces take pains to make the Lantern Corps’ selection process fair, Earth’s unspoken dictates about worthiness make that impossible.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 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
He dictates to them in Irish and makes me correct what they’ve written.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
But although the one-liners were flying, the show got very serious at the end, when the game's new twist dictated that Grant and Jama had to select their third traitor.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Online thrifters like that they save money, help reduce waste and can ignore trends dictated by the industry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The economic war in the Persian Gulf is dictated as much by how much the countries in the region can move their exports over land rather than through the Strait of Hormuz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
This is often because studios themselves dictated the stories and angles being written about.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
It was the close of an era and the beginning of a brand-new one—and this updated force would be tasked with upholding a whole new federally dictated way of life called Prohibition.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
"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
To some analysts, moves like that suggest that the market is dictating interest rates now, even more than the Fed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 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
Another clip showed Fury, who said ticket profits would be donated to a local charity supporting disadvantaged children and students with disabilities, dictating the pace and repeatedly landing uppercuts at close range in the fifth.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
When I was finished dictating, I asked Etta to let the boy stay on at Shady Glen.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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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.
