dictates 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of dictate
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

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dictates

2 of 2

noun

plural of dictate

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 dictates
Verb
This dictates the color used for things like menu selections and buttons in various apps. ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025 And their production dictates the amount circulating. John Tamny, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025 Washington state law dictates guns must be stored out of reach of children. Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025 The state’s request for qualifications, or RFQ, dictates that projects must reserve at least 20% of units built on the site for those making no more than 80% of the area median income. Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 9 Sep. 2025 Common sense dictates that Marlowe simply kept his head down for a few hundred years, went to Memphis, and popped up as Elvis Presley. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025 Additionally, the law dictates that state scholarship funding used in high school for more than 29 credit hours will reduce the Arkansas Access to Acceleration scholarship funding that's available to students after high school. Edward McKinnon, Arkansas Online, 4 Sep. 2025 If there was a financial interest, the contract dictates that CHA would not be permitted to hire Burnett until a year following his tenure. Lizzie Kane, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025 But Judge Lamberth noted the law explicitly dictates that a Voice of America director cannot be appointed or removed without a bipartisan majority -- five of the seven members. David Folkenflik, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
The directors were given a handful of dictates. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025 This will not only strengthen the UK’s position as a global leader in life sciences but also ensure that patients across the country can benefit from the best innovations at the pace they are needed – rather than at the pace bureaucracy dictates. Kath MacKay, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025 The department has stressed its policy dictates that officers do not ask people about their immigration status, and describes immigration enforcement as a federal responsibility. David Clarey, jsonline.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictates
Verb
  • Bill Nye Our favorite Science Guy orders a caramel macchiato made with coconut milk.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Continue reading … ORDER FROM THE COURT – Georgia judge orders Fani Willis to redo search for records in Trump election case.
    , FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Do that by using a clean rag or paper towel treated with a small amount of commercial cleaning or bleach solution, and rub them for as long as directed by the manufacturer's instructions.
    Audrey Bruno, SELF, 10 Sep. 2025
  • In recent incidents, Google's Gemini CLI destroyed user files while attempting to reorganize them, and Replit's AI coding service deleted a production database despite explicit instructions not to modify code.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But a PCMag reader pointed out the application requests permission to conduct the tests at a Pendleton, Oregon, airport site used for unmanned aircraft, including from a Boeing company called Insitu.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Deliver a genuine human experience that starts from the moment a client requests more information and lasts beyond the receipt of their purchase.
    Brandon Aversano, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Ever since, as the Taliban returned to power, once again issuing edicts to suppress women and girls, the clinic and its 34-year-old midwife Atifa have continued to provide a lifeline for mothers and young children.
    Elise Blanchard, Time, 21 Aug. 2025
  • One of the fundamental edicts of the [original Naked Gun creators] Zucker Brothers was you played against the comedy.
    Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • That requires humans to choose regeneration over extraction.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • However, the infrastructure costs are enormous, since maglev requires entirely new guideways, rather than upgrading existing tracks.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Many tech companies thrive with top-down leadership and linear management—clear directives from the founder to executors, without middle layers slowing or distorting the vision.
    Jonathan Low, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Regarding the centers, Ohio State has said the closures were tied to Trump’s anti-DEI directives.
    Chris Quintana, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The bill mandates the FAA enact 24 recommendations from an aviation rule-making committee within two years, forcing the agency to address a backlog of pilot medical certifications with special exceptions as well as hire FAA physicians with mental health backgrounds.
    Pete Muntean, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
  • While three dozen states require some degree of flood-risk disclosure, only California currently mandates home sellers reveal wildfire hazards.
    Bloomberg, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • As the digital landscape evolves, the companies and ideas shaping tomorrow may come from entirely new directions.
    Ian Shepherd, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Rather than having just one exhaust, a removal satellite could have two exhausts pointing in opposite directions.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 16 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dictates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictates. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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