Main Entry:

¹dic·tate

Pronunciation:

\ˈdik-ˌtāt, dik-ˈ\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

dic·tat·ed; dic·tat·ing

Etymology:

Latin dictatus, past participle of dictare to assert, dictate, frequentative of dicere to say — more at diction

Date:

1581

intransitive verb1: to give dictation2: to speak or act domineeringly : prescribetransitive verb1: to speak or read for a person to transcribe or for a machine to record2 a: to issue as an order b: to impose, pronounce, or specify authoritatively c: to require or determine necessarily <injuries dictated the choice of players>