as in orders
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 instructions
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 dictates
Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
Eric Smith, literary agent and founder of Neighborhood Literary, agreed that for novelists, the product is what dictates the trajectory – more so than who the author is.
—Josh Rivera, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
Mattress manufacturers are required by law to disclose the materials used in their products, which often dictates quality and price.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 19 Mar. 2026
The participants are randomized to one of three blocks of time throughout the day, which dictates when the drug is infused into their arm.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Some would say, some did say to us, that’s just democracy in action and those are the interested parties, entitled to support their preferred candidate as the system dictates.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Issues related to staffing levels and job responsibilities have traditionally been addressed through collective bargaining between employers and unions, not through legislation that dictates how businesses must organize their operations.
—Wayne Pesce, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
The song dictates the importance of resilience and the presence of love and support that surrounds us all.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 15 Mar. 2026
Even more striking was how Sinner, who dictates so many matches, took Tien’s attacks out of his hands.
—Ava Wallace, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
There is perhaps no sport that is more in thrall to the dictates of orthodoxy than baseball, which is so steeped in tradition that a visit to the ballpark is often a bit like hopping into a time machine.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 13 Mar. 2026
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
The deregulatory agenda, the most significant since President Ronald Reagan’s, has begun to liberate households and businesses from the dictates of Washington’s bureaucracy.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
The Institute for Postnatural Studies does not aim to conform to the dictates of traditional academia, as its name might imply.
—Catherine Taft, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Magritte is an artist who comes with a host of associated personal symbols—all those apples, bowler hats, mirrors, and trains—which interact according to the dictates of dream logic.
—Literary Hub, 23 Dec. 2025
Russia is too big compared with Ukraine, and its willingness to fight on dictates that ending the war will require Ukraine to make concessions.
—Thomas Friedman, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
Verb
The former dictates an excessively politicized life, the latter an effort to escape from the political.
—Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
Eric Smith, literary agent and founder of Neighborhood Literary, agreed that for novelists, the product is what dictates the trajectory – more so than who the author is.
—Josh Rivera, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
Mattress manufacturers are required by law to disclose the materials used in their products, which often dictates quality and price.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 19 Mar. 2026
The participants are randomized to one of three blocks of time throughout the day, which dictates when the drug is infused into their arm.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Some would say, some did say to us, that’s just democracy in action and those are the interested parties, entitled to support their preferred candidate as the system dictates.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Issues related to staffing levels and job responsibilities have traditionally been addressed through collective bargaining between employers and unions, not through legislation that dictates how businesses must organize their operations.
—Wayne Pesce, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2026
The song dictates the importance of resilience and the presence of love and support that surrounds us all.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 15 Mar. 2026
Even more striking was how Sinner, who dictates so many matches, took Tien’s attacks out of his hands.
—Ava Wallace, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
The girls decide to go and look for a traditional skirt for Qihuo to commemorate this rite of passage, as tradition dictates.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 15 Mar. 2026
There is perhaps no sport that is more in thrall to the dictates of orthodoxy than baseball, which is so steeped in tradition that a visit to the ballpark is often a bit like hopping into a time machine.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 13 Mar. 2026
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
The deregulatory agenda, the most significant since President Ronald Reagan’s, has begun to liberate households and businesses from the dictates of Washington’s bureaucracy.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
The Institute for Postnatural Studies does not aim to conform to the dictates of traditional academia, as its name might imply.
—Catherine Taft, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Magritte is an artist who comes with a host of associated personal symbols—all those apples, bowler hats, mirrors, and trains—which interact according to the dictates of dream logic.
—Literary Hub, 23 Dec. 2025
Russia is too big compared with Ukraine, and its willingness to fight on dictates that ending the war will require Ukraine to make concessions.
—Thomas Friedman, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictates
Verb
-
The verdict, delivered in New Mexico, orders Meta to pay $375 million in damages.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Just keep in mind that orders shipping from overseas may take a little longer to arrive and are subject to tariffs.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
So on March 22, 1621, following his wife’s instructions, Grotius managed to smuggle himself out of Loevestein Castle in the book chest, masquerading as, well, a box full of books.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The car mechanic sees an interactive diagram and step-by-step repair instructions on top of the engine parts.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Taylor's family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Metropolitan Golf Association Caddie Scholarship Fund.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Under the terms of TEFCA, providers have to send a patient’s records, for free, to any legitimate provider who requests them in order to support that patient’s treatment.—
Theresa Gaffney,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Covid-19 bred doubt about government edicts and skepticism about science, provoking an existential battle for truth.—
Richard Edelman,
Time,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Trump edicts weigh on stocks this week Geopolitical risks have weighed on investor sentiment this week.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After all, walking requires no gym membership, expensive equipment or specialized training and is accessible to nearly everyone and can be done almost anywhere.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Navigating the country can take time and often requires long drives and a 4x4 vehicle, especially during the green season.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That includes planning, organizing, evaluating and directing the work of the ALI based on legal mandates, changing and emergent training needs, departmental priorities, directives, statutes, and strategic goals.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Sable has been accused of repeatedly ignoring the directives of state and local officials, as well as committing criminal acts related to California environmental and coastal laws.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The contract also mandates a coordinated social medial push, where schools had to publish at least one post on the their team’s primary Instagram, X and Facebook accounts, along with corresponding story posts.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Idaho’s Constitution mandates the Legislature establish and maintain a uniform and thorough system of free public schools.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The robot is expected to help visitors navigate the airport more easily by providing directions, terminal updates, and travel information in multiple languages.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Both players looked their parts in position drills, moving in spacing and changing directions.—
Mike Kaye
March 24,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictates. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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