1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

dictate 1 of 2

verb

ˈdik-ˌtāt How to pronounce dictate (audio)
Definition of dictatenext
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

dictate

2 of 2

noun

ˈdik-ˌtāt How to pronounce dictate (audio)
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dictate
Verb
The rules that slow the process also ensure that France and Germany cannot simply override the Netherlands or dictate terms to Portugal. — Jonas Nahm, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026 Garfield, sensitive and earthy, is our bellwether as the events descend into bloody carnage dictated by muddled agendas. — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
Tradition dictates, in its birthplace of the Piedmont region of Italy, that tonnato is served with thin pieces of veal. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 29 June 2026 The downturn bolsters the longstanding theory that the Bitcoin market follows the dictates of US election cycles. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dictate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictate
  1. order
  2. instruction
  3. request
  4. edict
  5. ask
  6. direction
  7. require
  8. directive
Verb
  • Frimpong also ordered the government to thoroughly document the probable cause that leads to an arrest before a warrant could be obtained.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo ordered the immediate suspension of Niger ‌State’s ⁠NSCDC commandant, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, pending the outcome of a full investigation.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of order
Noun
  • Orders can be equivocal, statements ambiguous, instructions murky.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Studies have used everything from intensive classroom instruction to short daily sessions with language-learning apps, over periods ranging from weeks to months, to see whether language learning can improve cognitive function.
    — Karen Stollznow, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of instruction
Verb
  • Earlier that month, Greg Rogers, chief fiscal officer for the Education Department, said the department waited before requesting additional funds to determine how many students would actually use the accounts they were approved to receive.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Among issues to be addressed at Friday’s pretrial hearing is Teuber’s motion requesting the court set bond or release him on his own recognizance.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of request
Noun
  • The film by and large follows the edicts of Iranian neorealism, with unobtrusive observations and a naturalistic soundscape.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Last week, OutKick explained how Magnus undermined his own edict and vision by hiring back Stan Verrett to host a throwaway show on NFL Network.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of edict
Verb
  • Explain what matters to you, then ask the other person to do the same.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Boone did not rule out that possibility when asked before Sunday’s game.
    — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of ask
Noun
  • Dycus appeared to have had the Winter Springs program headed in the right direction after a difficult start.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Khaled Abdul Malek, who testified about being detained and tortured under Alsheikh’s direction, praised the sentence in a statement.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of direction
Verb
  • In China, filial piety is a core virtue; children traditionally are required to respect, obey and care for their parents.
    — HUIYEE CHIEW AND LYRIC LI THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • In Florence, locals will bemoan the lines at All'Antico Vinaio, because there are so many other incredible focaccia sandwich shops around that don't require a wait.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of require
Noun
  • Anthropic has already experienced such treatment, getting blacklisted by the Department of Defense earlier this year, and then in June being ordered by the government to disable access to two models to comply with an export control directive.
    — Lora Kolodny,Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Following the unveiling of the already impressive prototype in 2017, the storied CEO is said to have given Tesla engineers a directive that the car had to be able to fly, delaying its production by years.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of directive

Browse Nearby Words

dicta
dictate
dictated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dictate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictate. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of volition

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All