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
2a : to issue as an orderb : to impose, pronounce, or specify authoritatively dictate the terms of surrender … the league will dictate policy for all teams … — Alex Yannisc : to require or determine necessarily injuries dictated the choice of players The weather will dictate how long we stay.
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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
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The state's Open Door Law dictates how government entities conduct public business and is aimed at ensuring government transparency.
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League rules dictate that players must pay any remaining balance.
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The current Opposition will be unable to negotiate an election or dictate a street war of attrition without a clear and strict leadership mandate.
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As high-end runways dictate, though, the aesthetic behind these sporty numbers skewed more sky-box-luxe than locker-room-ratty.
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That typically dictates what gender our parents raise us as.
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And an Oklahoma attorney general who allowed a natural-gas company to literally dictate his office’s position on new environmental regulations is now the head of the EPA.
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D.C. United has by some distance the worst attack in the league, meaning that its results this season have largely been dictated by whether Hamid can make enough saves to keep the team in the game.
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That difference dictates whether the particular intervention elevates crime or reduces crime.
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
Latin dictatus, past participle of dictare to assert, dictate, frequentative of dicere to say — more at diction
Definition of dictate
1a : an authoritative rule, prescription, or injunction the dictates of the partyb : a ruling principle according to the dictates of your conscience
2 : a command by one in authority papal dictates
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
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But the mogul has never allowed himself to be hemmed in by the dictates of rationality.
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Ossoff's final sprint across the district focused on the seemingly contradictory dictates of trying to drive up as much energy as possible to turn out his supporters, while doing so in the most polite manner possible.
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That is a worthy vision to promote, but it should not be confused with the dictates of free speech, which allows for a messier, more ill-mannered form of public discourse.
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At that wedding, the bride, Ethel Chertkof, wore a gown made of champagne silk that, according to the dictates of modesty required by her faith, had a hem that hit below the knee.
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Duchamp would go on to suggest that taste is a product of cultural dictates, according to the curator and the director of the museum, Bonnie Clearwater.
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The answer is a complicated mix of personal preference, diplomatic protocol and religious dictates.
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The answer lies in a complicated mix of personal preference, diplomatic protocol and religious dictates, according to the Associated Press.
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But that still leaves us time for one more first-round prognostication, which will be freshened through the week as news dictates.
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
see 1dictate
DICTATE Defined for English Language Learners
dictate
playDefinition of dictate for English Language Learners
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: to speak or read (something) to a person who writes it down or to a machine that records it
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: to say or state (something) with authority or power
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: to make (something) necessary
dictate
playDefinition of dictate for English Language Learners
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: an order or direction given with authority
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: a rule or principle that guides something (such as an activity or a person's behavior)
DICTATE Defined for Kids
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.
Learn More about dictate
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See words that rhyme with dictate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dictate Spanish Central: Translation of dictate Nglish: Translation of dictate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dictate for Arabic speakers
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