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
In fact, the Sonoran Desert sun helps dictate what’s sensible to do when and where. — Jessica Ritz, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026 For a precision folding bike where millimeter-perfect alignment dictates how smoothly the hinges open and close, keeping the metal perfectly straight is a manufacturing advantage. — New Atlas, 29 Aug. 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
  • Even though Vaughn's initial plea was not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, and a mental status exam was ordered, no pretrial tests were done.
    — Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
  • In a similar format to Family Feud, TopClubTen gives you ten top answers, ordered by amount, recency, value, and so on.
    — Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of order
Noun
  • The appeal asked that the court either excuse the juror who was allegedly refusing to follow instructions or inquire further to determine whether the juror could in fact follow the judge's instructions to correctly apply the law.
    — Carmel Wroth, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The prosecution suggested that the jurors be instructed to return to the deliberations without any further instruction or voir dire.
    — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of instruction
Verb
  • But hey, this is a girl who requested that her college graduation gift be a trip to see the HOF in Canton.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Under such a contract, customers (like the Navy) will request Seasat to supply the boats, launch them, maintain them, operate the autonomous system, and presumably provide the sensor/data service.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of request
Noun
  • Countless speakers left the Pale of Settlement – the territory in Eastern Europe where Jews had been granted permission to live under an edict of the Russian czars.
    — Ilan Stavans, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The president’s orders and edicts have no basis in reality, are nonsensical and are making our nation significantly less safe.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of edict
Verb
  • However, the Raiders will be asking a lot of Eichenberg and Lindenberg if either starter goes down.
    — Sam Warren, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Anyone with information about the stabbing is asked to contact the Fort Worth Police Department at 817-392-4330.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of ask
Noun
  • Our study takes only a tiny step – but still a step – in that direction, helping to nail down the mechanism of exotic superconductivity in graphene.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The Florida Department of Transportation website notes that at least one lane in each direction will remain open at all times.
    — Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of direction
Verb
  • Matt Bevin has missed several court dates in the case and did not attend the May 29 hearing in person as required by the judge, appearing via Zoom instead.
    — Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Doing the math, that leaves two other units with residents who will have a say since allowing the foundation to take over the entire space would require changing the co-op’s bylaws, Richards said.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of require
Noun
  • Justice Department attorneys have argued that a restraining order would be inappropriate and that the legal challenge was premature, as federal agencies had yet to issue public guidance on how the president's directive would be implemented.
    — Kristina Cooke, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Nearly one-third of Americans vote by mail and election officials contend there isn’t enough time to revise their systems to comply with the new Postal Service directives.
    — Lindsay Whitehurst, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 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 6 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All