as in ordered
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority
dictated that the terms of surrender be negotiated by his senior staff
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Recent Examples of dictated
One needed Mother Nature to bestow upon brewers the right temperatures for making beer, and in the days before refrigeration and even thermometers, that meant that brewing was largely dictated by the caprices of the seasons.
—
Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
At Ren, executive chef Koji Imajo uses French techniques to prepare mostly regional ingredients dictated by Japan’s 24 solar terms.
—Leandra Beabout, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2026
This repetition speed, in turn, is dictated by the rubber sneaker’s stiffness and thickness.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 25 Feb. 2026
But a draft declaration that lawyers said was dictated by Joshua Orta, Martinez's friend and passenger, contradicts the version of events offered by federal officials.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
The Tonys are unique, in that most of the performances are dictated by what’s nominated for best musical and best revival of a musical.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2026
We’re stuck in a world dictated by millions of Diane Christensens.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2026
Furthermore, an informal rule in the Senate dictated that any Senator opposing a recommendation had to propose their own alternative solution, effectively separating the reforms from standard partisan debate.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Smith added that some of the decision-making on timings would be somewhat dictated by other events.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
At Ren, executive chef Koji Imajo uses French techniques to prepare mostly regional ingredients dictated by Japan’s 24 solar terms.
—Leandra Beabout, Travel + Leisure, 26 Feb. 2026
This repetition speed, in turn, is dictated by the rubber sneaker’s stiffness and thickness.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 25 Feb. 2026
But a draft declaration that lawyers said was dictated by Joshua Orta, Martinez's friend and passenger, contradicts the version of events offered by federal officials.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
The Tonys are unique, in that most of the performances are dictated by what’s nominated for best musical and best revival of a musical.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2026
We’re stuck in a world dictated by millions of Diane Christensens.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2026
Furthermore, an informal rule in the Senate dictated that any Senator opposing a recommendation had to propose their own alternative solution, effectively separating the reforms from standard partisan debate.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Smith added that some of the decision-making on timings would be somewhat dictated by other events.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictated
Verb
-
Their ties had been strained since the 2023 killing of an Indian activist in Canada which Ottawa said was ordered by Delhi.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Elsewhere across the region, the US State Department ordered non-emergency US government personnel and their families to depart from Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates due to security concerns.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But a coroner can’t do that unilaterally, the NSW Coroner’s Court told CNN –– an inquest needs to be requested by police or a party with new evidence or compelled by the Supreme Court or the attorney general.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
-
But because of the area’s shortage of medical specialists, the New Mexico Human Services Department requested a waiver on his behalf that permitted him to resume practice and continue treating cancer patients as the only oncologist in all of Luna County, a remote rural region.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The delegates asked not to be identified as the deliberations are private.—
Salma El Wardany,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
-
How much weight will jurors give to Rubenstein’s posture that Spacey would leave rehab to film if MRC asked?—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictated. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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