dictate

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verb dic·tate \ ˈdik-ˌtāt , dik-ˈ \

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

The state's Open Door Law dictates how government entities conduct public business and is aimed at ensuring government transparency.

— craig lyons, Post-Tribune, "State: Lake commissioners, council violated Open Door Law," 7 July 2017
League rules dictate that players must pay any remaining balance.

— keith pompey, Philly.com, "Furkan Korkmaz to play for Sixers next season, per reports; Sixers say 'it very well might happen'," 30 June 2017
The current Opposition will be unable to negotiate an election or dictate a street war of attrition without a clear and strict leadership mandate.

— andrés miguel rondón, The Atlantic, "The Long, Slow Death of Chavismo," 29 June 2017
As high-end runways dictate, though, the aesthetic behind these sporty numbers skewed more sky-box-luxe than locker-room-ratty.

— WSJ, "What Menswear Designers Want You To Wear Next Spring," 29 June 2017
That typically dictates what gender our parents raise us as.

— sarah brody, Teen Vogue, "What It Means to Be Intersex," 27 June 2017
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.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "GOP Congressman Loses $17 Million on Biotech Stock," 27 June 2017
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.

— alexander abnos, SI.com, "MLS Power Rankings Week 17: Picking every club's midseason MVP," 27 June 2017
That difference dictates whether the particular intervention elevates crime or reduces crime.

— maura ewing, The Atlantic, "Do Right-to-Carry Gun Laws Make States Safer?," 24 June 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1577

See Words from the same year

dictate Synonyms

Synonyms

call, decree, command, direct, mandate, ordain, order

Related Words

ask, petition, request; demand, require

Near Antonyms

cancel, countermand, rescind

dictate

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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

That quest for knowledge dictates decisions (and a tad of irrationality, perhaps), so of course Snow is willing to risk physical harm beyond the wall or down in King’s Landing in order to further understanding of this societal threat.

— nathan mattise, Ars Technica, "An appreciation of Game of Thrones‘ White Walkers from a zombie diehard," 29 Aug. 2017
The Solo James rebounded Curry's miss with 29 seconds to play and fed Irving, who dribbled off on a hell-bent-for-glory, one-on-several fast break against the dictates of score and clock management.

— bill livingston, cleveland.com, "What NBA Finals Game 7 revealed about each of Cleveland Cavaliers' Big Three: Bill Livingston (photos):," 28 July 2017
And despite the complaints of certain Boston media personalities who apparently can’t stand the thought of a man being paid in accordance with what the free market dictates, the league and its teams—which hold all the financial power—

— jon tayler, SI.com, "Pablo Sandoval's terrible contract with Red Sox is gone but never to be forgotten," 14 July 2017
Head said some people have pointed to those broad sections in the Master Plan to deviate away from what the land use section dictates for a property, thereby allowing someone to violate the plan.

— katherine sayre, NOLA.com, "Changes are coming for the New Orleans Master Plan: 4 amendments to watch," 10 July 2017
Through Camacho-Ali, Montville depicts Ali at a crossroads, facing the prospect of prison and trying to remain loyal to the dictates of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad, while still pining to return to the ring.

— leigh montville, Philly.com, "'Sting Like a Bee': When the champ found His voice," 2 July 2017
But the mogul has never allowed himself to be hemmed in by the dictates of rationality.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Suggests That Russia Never Hacked the DNC, ‘It’s All a Big Dem HOAX’," 22 June 2017
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.

— robert costa, chicagotribune.com, "Georgia special election a referendum on Trump," 19 June 2017
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.

— thomas healy, The Atlantic, "Who's Afraid of Free Speech?," 18 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of dictate

see ¹dictate

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1582

See Words from the same year

dictate Synonyms

DICTATE Defined for English Language Learners

dictate

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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

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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

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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.