dictate

verb

dic·​tate ˈdik-ˌtāt  dik-ˈtāt 

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 assistant

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

The team's injuries dictated the choice of players.

The weather will dictate how long we stay.

Synonyms of dictate

• order
• request
• ask
• require

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 on the Web

That is manageable when a company seasons into the index slowly, as the rules dictate it, with a liquid market in its shares. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 2 June 2026

Louisville police policy dictates that if a weapon is present, mental health professionals cannot respond to the calls. —Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 2 June 2026

How well the replacements are able to perform likely will dictate the ceiling for this team. —Cj Moore june 2, New York Times, 2 June 2026

On offense, Etienne’s role will probably be dictated by Brooks’ durability. —Mike Kaye june 1, Charlotte Observer, 1 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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.

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing dictate

• dictate to

Rhymes for dictate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

dictate

1 of 2 verb

dic·​tate ˈdik-ˌtāt  dik-ˈtāt 

dictated; dictating

1

: to speak or read for a person to write down or for a machine to record

dictate a letter to a secretary

2

: to say or state with authority or power : give orders

dictate terms of surrender

few people enjoy being dictated to

dictate

2 of 2 noun

ˈdik-ˌtāt

: an order or direction given with authority : command

the dictates of conscience

Etymology

from Latin dictatus, past participle of dictare "to assert, dictate," from dicere "to say" — related to dictionary, predict, verdict