dictate

verb dic·tate \ ˈdik-ˌtāt , dik-ˈ \

|Updated on: 11 Aug 2018

Examples: dictate in a Sentence

Definition of dictate

dictated; dictating

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

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

c : to require or determine necessarily

injuries dictated the choice of players

The weather will dictate how long we stay.

See dictate defined for English-language learners

See dictate defined for kids

Examples of dictate in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of dictate from the Web

Mrs May was speaking at the launch of a consultation on reforming the Gender Recognition Act, which dictates how people can change their legal gender.

— The Economist, "A culture war comes to Westminster," 5 July 2018
Governor Charlie Baker hailed the court’s rejection of its 1992 Quill decision, which dictated that only retailers with a physical presence in a state can be required to collect taxes there.

— jon chesto, BostonGlobe.com, "Wayfair ruling allows online sales taxes, but there’s no rush," 21 June 2018
Louisville City and the university have signed separate contracts for each match at Lynn Stadium, which dictate that the athletic department receives the majority of the revenue while the soccer club gets just a portion of ticket sales.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "LouCity is winning at Lynn Stadium - so why didn't this happen sooner?," 18 June 2018
The contracts between hospitals and insurers that dictate prices are considered proprietary information, not to be released to the public.

— sarah gantz, Philly.com, "Pa. health system aims to take the mystery out of health care prices - and offers a discount for paying cash," 23 May 2018
But the White House spin skips over crucial unanswered questions that will dictate the outcome of the investigation, and possibly even the fate of the Trump presidency itself.

— stephen collinson, CNN, "What to watch for in the Mueller probe," 17 May 2018
The survey found that the American Dream is not dead, at least the one that dictates that making money is indeed the path to bliss.

— bloomberg, Fortune, "This Is How Much Money You Need to Be Considered Wealthy in America," 15 May 2018
Of course, the factors that dictate mental health are complicated.

— jamie ducharme, Time, "This Type of Exercise May Help Relieve Depression," 9 May 2018
Eighty-five percent of the recommendations were carried out by 2012, when changes were also made changes to the general police orders that dictate investigative procedures for missing children and adults.

— courtney astolfi, cleveland.com, "How have missing persons investigations in Cleveland changed since Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were found?," 3 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dictate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of dictate

borrowed from Latin dictātus, past participle of dictāre "to say repeatedly, speak aloud words to be transcribed by another, issue as an order," frequentative of dīcere "to talk, speak, say, utter" — more at diction

Note: See note at dictator.

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1577

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

dictate Synonyms

Phrases

call for;

dictate

noun dic·tate \ ˈdik-ˌtāt \

Definition of dictate

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

See dictate defined for English-language learners

Examples of dictate in a Sentence

a starchily worded dictate from on high concerning the company's dress code

Recent Examples of dictate from the Web

The imperative of conservative journalists to support Trump is strong, driven by their audience’s demand, by their longstanding alliance with the Republican Party, and often, as in the case of Sinclair and Salem, by the dictates of employers.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "The Scourge of Trumpism in Conservative Journalism," 14 May 2018
The dictates of modesty called for floor-length dresses, and fashion demanded a full skirt beneath a tiny waist.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "Amelia Bloomer Didn’t Mean to Start a Fashion Revolution, But Her Name Became Synonymous With Trousers," 24 May 2018
Abandoning her training by Boas, and ignoring the dictates of both honesty and history, Hurston forsook the opportunity to record the story of another survivor.

— casey n. cep, The New Yorker, "Zora Neale Hurston’s Story of a Former Slave Finally Comes to Print," 7 May 2018
In his own words, Patterson is antagonistic to women who do not order their lives after his dictates.

— sarah jones, The New Republic, "The Religious Right’s #MeToo Reckoning Is Coming," 30 May 2018
As the law of 2018 viral moments dictates, such a good performance must be preserved via the artform of GIFs, and Lopez did not disappoint.

— kathryn lindsay, refinery29.com, "Jennifer Lopez's "Dinero" Debut At The BBMAs Was Straight Fire (Minus DJ Khaled)," 21 May 2018
Currently, the league’s playing manual dictates that players should be on the field during the anthem, but does not require them to stand.

— dave birkett, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Lions steer clear of NFL anthem policy, a 'touchy subject'," 16 May 2018
Both the dictates of the market and the demands of employers like Salem are pushing conservative pundits and journalists to act, as Boyce put it, as trial lawyers who defend their client regardless of their private scruples.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "The Scourge of Trumpism in Conservative Journalism," 14 May 2018
In my judgment, this suggests that real question lurking behind any discussion of constitutional overhaul: Were the Framers too skeptical of the capacity of the mass public to rule in accordance with the dictates of justice and virtue?

— jay cost, National Review, "Let’s Not Throw Out the Constitution," 29 Jan. 2018

Origin and Etymology of dictate

borrowed from Medieval Latin dictātum "something commanded" (Latin, in plural dictāta "lessons to be transcribed"), noun derivative from neuter of Latin dictātus, past participle of dictāre "to say repeatedly, say aloud words to be transcribed by another, issue as an order" — more at ¹dictate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1582

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

dictate Synonyms

Synonyms

behest, charge, command, commandment, decree, direction, directive, do, edict, imperative, injunction, instruction, order, word;

Near Antonyms

appeal, entreaty, petition, plea, urging;

proposal, recommendation, suggestion;

Related Words

demand, requirement;

mandate;

countermand, counterorder;

law, precept, prescript, prescription, rule;

ordinance, regulation, statute;

DICTATE Defined for English Language Learners

dictate

verb

Definition of dictate for English Language Learners

: to speak or read (something) to a person who writes it down or to a machine that records it
: to say or state (something) with authority or power
: to make (something) necessary

dictate

noun

Definition of dictate for English Language Learners

: an order or direction given with authority
: a rule or principle that guides something (such as an activity or a person's behavior)

DICTATE Defined for Kids

dictate

verb dic·tate \ ˈdik-ˌtāt \

Definition of dictate for Students

dictated; dictating

1 : to speak or read for someone else to write down or for a machine to record

dictate a letter

2 : to say or state with authority : order

You can't dictate what I can do.

3 : to make necessary

Tradition dictates that we go first.

Word Root of dictate

The Latin word dicere, meaning “to say” or “to speak,” and its form dictus give us the root dict. Words from the Latin dicere have something to do with saying or speaking. To dictate is to say words that are to be written down by someone else. To contradict is to say the opposite of what someone else has said. To predict is to say what will happen before it does.