dictate
verb (used with object)
to say or read (something) aloud for another person to transcribe or for a machine to record.
has dictated
-
present perfectof dictate (3rd person singular).present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
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
Oil has dictated broader market moves since the conflict began at the end of last month, with surging crude prices weighing heavily on stocks, and intermittent pullbacks enticing investors back into risk markets.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
“The agriculture community has dictated the rules of engagement from the start,” said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2024
Sources have maintained Peter Angelos, the team’s 94-year-old owner who has been incapacitated for several years, has dictated in his will that the baseball team be sold upon his death.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 12, 2023
There is no doubt that Spear has dictated clauses in a hundred wills devising that William G. Spear, Custodian of the Quincy Historical Society, shall have snuffers and biscuit-molds.
From Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 03 Little Journeys to the Homes of American Statesmen by Elbert Hubbard
