dictated; dictating
1
: to utter words to be transcribed : to give dictation
dictate for the stenographer
2
: to speak or act domineeringly : prescribe
resents being dictated to
1
: to speak or read for a person to transcribe or for a machine to record
dictating a letter to her secretary
2
a
: to issue as an order
b
: to impose, pronounce, or specify authoritatively
dictate the terms of surrender
… the league will dictate policy for all teams …—
Alex Yannis
Alex Yannis
c
: to require or determine necessarily
injuries dictated the choice of players
The weather will dictate how long we stay.
1
a
: an authoritative rule, prescription, or injunction
the dictates of the party
b
: a ruling principle
according to the dictates of your conscience
2
: a command by one in authority
papal dictates
Synonyms
Examples of dictate in a Sentence
Verb
She's dictating a letter to her secretary.
They insisted on being able to dictate the terms of surrender.
Tradition dictates that the youngest member should go first.
The basket's function dictates its size and shape.
Noun
a starchily worded dictate from on high concerning the company's dress code
Recent Examples on the WebKrista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 26 June 2024
Come February 2013, though, legal/rights issues dictated that Easton, Howarth and Alderson all would have to exit GH as their OLTL characters.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 26 June 2024
JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
After all, consumers are the ones who will need to repair, recycle and care for items to extend their life—as the circular economy dictates.
—Debbie Shakespeare, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for dictate 
Verb
State law dictates that if a district allows the drug on school property, families can either choose to let a school nurse or staff member administer it to their child, or a guardian can come to the school to do it.
—Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 26 June 2024
Come February 2013, though, legal/rights issues dictated that Easton, Howarth and Alderson all would have to exit GH as their OLTL characters.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 26 June 2024
Noun
Free from Russian dictates over language usage and education, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan prepare to embrace Latin lettering.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
After all, consumers are the ones who will need to repair, recycle and care for items to extend their life—as the circular economy dictates.
—Debbie Shakespeare, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for dictate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dictate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dictate
Cite this Entry
“Dictate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dictate
2 of 2 nounˈdik-ˌtāt
: an order or direction given with authority : command
the dictates of conscience
Etymology
Verb
from Latin dictatus, past participle of dictare "to assert, dictate," from dicere "to say" — related to dictionary, predict, verdict
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