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
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
Mick Krever, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
Size of predator usually matches size of prey In the animal kingdom, size usually dictates strategy.
—Leonie Baier, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2026
Council members have long chafed at their exclusion from an intergovernmental agreement between the city and MARTA that dictates how decisions are made within the More MARTA program established by voters in a 2016 referendum.
—Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Conventional wisdom dictates that parading around a pup is a political ploy meant to humanize politicians.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
How dialysis no longer dictates his nights.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2026
But there’s only so much real estate and the story really dictates.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 24 Feb. 2026
The suspension of a car dictates how well the vehicle will ride.
—Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Also on Wednesday, a split LCRA Board of Directors advanced an update to the authority’s Water Management Plan, which dictates how water from Lakes Travis and Buchanan is divided between city water utilities like Austin Water and coastal rice farmers downstream.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
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
However, the dictates of a person's conscience, religion, or personal philosophy cannot justify or excuse the disobedience of an otherwise lawful order.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2025
Now, suddenly, some of his dictates are falling flat with fellow Republicans.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 20 Nov. 2025
Verb
Afghanistan’s Sharia Law also dictates that a woman’s testimony is worth half that of a man.
—Mick Krever, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
Size of predator usually matches size of prey In the animal kingdom, size usually dictates strategy.
—Leonie Baier, The Conversation, 27 Feb. 2026
Council members have long chafed at their exclusion from an intergovernmental agreement between the city and MARTA that dictates how decisions are made within the More MARTA program established by voters in a 2016 referendum.
—Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Conventional wisdom dictates that parading around a pup is a political ploy meant to humanize politicians.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
How dialysis no longer dictates his nights.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2026
But there’s only so much real estate and the story really dictates.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 24 Feb. 2026
The suspension of a car dictates how well the vehicle will ride.
—Keenan Thompson, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Also on Wednesday, a split LCRA Board of Directors advanced an update to the authority’s Water Management Plan, which dictates how water from Lakes Travis and Buchanan is divided between city water utilities like Austin Water and coastal rice farmers downstream.
—Alex Driggars, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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
However, the dictates of a person's conscience, religion, or personal philosophy cannot justify or excuse the disobedience of an otherwise lawful order.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2025
Now, suddenly, some of his dictates are falling flat with fellow Republicans.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 20 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictates
Verb
-
Israel hits Lebanon, orders people to leave villages Roads in southern Lebanon and leading out of Beirut’s southern suburbs were gridlocked early Monday with people fleeing after Israel launched a barrage of strikes in retaliation for missiles launched across the border by Hezbollah.—
BRIAN MELLEY,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Mar. 2026
-
And once someone orders something, that reinstates the account to a fully active status.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Printed inside the boxes is clear, helpful information about Tilt's formulas, certifications and easy refill instructions.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Dog carrier slings are entirely comfortable and safe when following the manufacturer’s instructions.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The suit, filed in Jackson County Circuit Court last week, requests a jury trial.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
-
According to data cited in the original ruling, at least 598 of the state’s 1,000 school systems have policies restricting what parents can be told about their child’s gender expression at school — if the child requests confidentiality.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
3 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
-
Considering the extreme energy and ultrafast tempo the music requires, hardcore shows can be exhausting for all involved — and transformative.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Using biometrics as part of logins can speed up this process and improve security, but that requires an investment in technology implementation and training to use it.—
Don Aviv,
Time,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Noem's confirmation out of the Senate sailed through, despite questions over how much money the agency was asking for to conduct immigration enforcement and policy directives coming from personnel high up at the White House, such as border czar Tom Homan.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Local agencies will have between 45 to 180 days to implement the directives passed by the city council Wednesday.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has selected a Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) to enact the law, which mandates that producers of textiles and apparel pay into a system to keep waste out of landfills.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The Superfund designation mandates clean-up of areas heavily contaminated with hazardous waste.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With this illumination, firefighters can identify entry directions and escape routes in low-visibility environments.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The concierge team keeps things refreshingly low-key, ready to divulge hotel lore, downtown directions, and smart local recommendations.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictates. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
