as in to order
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority
dictated that the terms of surrender be negotiated by his senior staff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in order
a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned
a starchily worded dictate from on high concerning the company's dress code
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dictate
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
This dictate, a version of the Golden Rule, has been a bedrock of moral philosophy for centuries.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Local control ensures that voting reflects the needs of the community, not the dictates of a federal bureaucracy.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictate
Verb
Which of the three will be addressed at 43, with Miami’s only remaining top-70 pick, likely will be dictated in part by the decisions made by the 11 teams that pick before them tonight.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
This dictate, a version of the Golden Rule, has been a bedrock of moral philosophy for centuries.
—Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
Beloved ’s revenant defies the dictates of realism according to which a character is a bounded individual.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Local control ensures that voting reflects the needs of the community, not the dictates of a federal bureaucracy.
—Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dictate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictate
Verb
-
My sister, Louise, had spent hours perfecting the screechy, imperious cry of Starscream, only to use it when phoning the takeaway and ordering curry sauce and chips.—
Douglas Stuart,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
In the kitchen, as well as using vegetables grown in the garden or nearby, the hotel has adopted Meat Free Monday to encourage guests to order vegetarian meals at least once a week.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The team also gave Luna a series of initial instructions, including pre-launch priorities like hiring an employee to run the store’s day-to-day operations, deciding what the store should sell and ordering inventory.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Instead, what the court addressed was a single jury instruction, charting several paths forward — including fixing that instruction and trying the case again.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The deal could include $500 million in financing from the government, which could provide a path to give the government an equity stake in the carrier, said the people, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks.—
Leslie Josephs,Phil LeBeau,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2026
-
In the run-up to Leo’s arrival, the government released nearly 100 people who had been arrested in a 2022 crackdown on street violence, according to a local lawyer, who requested anonymity given the country’s human rights record.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Oh, and one angler at the summit asked the DNR about artificial intelligence, which younger tournament anglers are already using to great success.—
Mike McFeely,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Arenas asked Thursday during a county committee meeting on child welfare with several department leaders sitting on the dais.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But that edict died with him, Vaez said.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Like most of her peers, Agnes follows her country’s various repressive edicts directed toward young women.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
To write a poem requires effort, art, inspiration.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Residents think that the sudden surge in crimes and the apparent randomness with which happening may require a greater response than just city resources.—
Zach Boetto,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Previously unproven players like Neemias Queta, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza and rookie Hugo Gonzalez all enjoyed career years under Mazzulla’s direction.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
20 Apr. 2026
-
People are different; their experiences might have little overlap; their values pull in competing directions.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Looking forward, the agency said future contracts should have better oversight under a new NASA workforce directive, outlined in a memo obtained by NASA Watch.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Committee voted 102 to 24 for directive to enforce & notify county & TX by noon Tues.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictate. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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