dictate

1 of 2

verb

dic·​tate ˈdik-ˌtāt  dik-ˈtāt 

dictated; dictating

intransitive verb

1

: to utter words to be transcribed : to give dictation

dictate for the stenographer

2

: to speak or act domineeringly : prescribe

resents being dictated to

transitive verb

1

: to speak or read for a person to transcribe or for a machine to record

dictating a letter to her secretary

2

a

: to issue as an order

b

: to impose, pronounce, or specify authoritatively

dictate the terms of surrender

… the league will dictate policy for all teams …

—Alex Yannis

c

: to require or determine necessarily

injuries dictated the choice of players

The weather will dictate how long we stay.

dictate

2 of 2

noun

dic·​tate ˈdik-ˌtāt 

1

a

: an authoritative rule, prescription, or injunction

the dictates of the party

b

: a ruling principle

according to the dictates of your conscience

2

: a command by one in authority

papal dictates

Synonyms

Verb

• call
• command
• decree
• direct
• mandate
• ordain
• order

Noun

• behest
• charge
• command
• commandment
• decree
• direction
• directive
• do
• edict
• imperative
• injunction
• instruction
• order
• word

Examples of dictate in a Sentence

Verb

She's dictating a letter to her secretary.

They insisted on being able to dictate the terms of surrender.

Tradition dictates that the youngest member should go first.

The basket's function dictates its size and shape.

Noun

a starchily worded dictate from on high concerning the company's dress code

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Material constraints often dictate behavior as strongly as social expectations. —Benjamin Voyer, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025

Component Check: Nvidia's New Hotness, Paired With Potent Ryzen AI The components will naturally dictate those prices: The Aero X16 can pack up to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics chip. —Matthew Buzzi, PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2025

Noun

One of my early editorial dictates was that Iris should never drive a car with a roof. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Feb. 2025

But while these directives only apply to federal agencies, some businesses treat them like unofficial government dictates and push their security teams to implement them. —Eric Geller, WIRED, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

borrowed from Latin dictātus, past participle of dictāre "to say repeatedly, speak aloud words to be transcribed by another, issue as an order," frequentative of dīcere "to talk, speak, say, utter" — more at diction

Note: See note at dictator.

Noun

borrowed from Medieval Latin dictātum "something commanded" (Latin, in plural dictāta "lessons to be transcribed"), noun derivative from neuter of Latin dictātus, past participle of dictāre "to say repeatedly, say aloud words to be transcribed by another, issue as an order" — more at dictate entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1577, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing dictate

• dictate to

Rhymes for dictate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

dictate

1 of 2 verb

dic·​tate ˈdik-ˌtāt  dik-ˈtāt 

dictated; dictating

1

: to speak or read for a person to write down or for a machine to record

dictate a letter to a secretary

2

: to say or state with authority or power : give orders

dictate terms of surrender

few people enjoy being dictated to

dictate

2 of 2 noun

ˈdik-ˌtāt

: an order or direction given with authority : command

the dictates of conscience

Etymology

Verb

from Latin dictatus, past participle of dictare "to assert, dictate," from dicere "to say" — related to dictionary, predict, verdict