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Synonyms
Example Sentences
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
Nate Atkins, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Nov. 2022
With five dates boasting six concerts for the 2023 Saturday in the Park Concert Series, Pinchek said community response will dictate whether the series is expanded next year.
John Benson, cleveland, 25 Nov. 2022
The over is a good bet as both teams will be looking to come out strong and dictate the flow of the game with some early shots on goal.
Ian Firstenberg, Chicago Tribune, 24 Nov. 2022
Cox has also argued Congress should be allowed to come up with a lasting resolution for both monuments, rather than have a president unilaterally dictate an outcome without consideration of what local residents want.
Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Nov. 2022
Another speculated that the time constant of the brain, which is similar in rats and humans, would dictate the optimal tempo.
Jacquelyne Germain, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Nov. 2022
Pedri, a 19-year-old who plays for Barcelona, is already the star of a team that also features Gavi, another teenager who will line up in the midfield and help Spain dictate the tempo.
Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 17 Nov. 2022
President Biden has insisted that Ukraine, and not the United States, will dictate if and when negotiations commence to end the war.
Edward Wong, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2022
The tribe expects the enterprise to be open for business seven days a week and employ six to eight people, with seasonal adjustments to store hours and staffing made as business needs dictate.
A.j. Herrington, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2022
Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2022
This may seem odd for a luxury vehicle, but not in an age where the internal combustion engine is being consigned to scrap heap by government dictate.
Tribune News Service, cleveland, 1 Oct. 2022
Roy Cooper wants to bypass the state legislature and let a California consulting firm dictate state policy.
Donna King, National Review, 28 Sep. 2022
Clear rights regarding interference protection can provide incentives for innovation and collaboration among spectrum users in a way that avoids regulatory dictate.
Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2022
In terms of Hodges’s dictate for full restoration, precedent plays a key role in acts of curatorial omission or commission.
Randal Doane, Harper’s Magazine , 7 Dec. 2021
The principal went on to note that ahead of the school year, the Illinois superintendent of schools sent a letter to each district threatening schools that did not enforce compliance with the dictate.
Breck Dumas, Fox News, 11 Sep. 2021
Their litany of error serves as a reminder of the risks of letting horse-race political coverage dictate coverage of the pandemic.
Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 10 Aug. 2021
Their work has exposed not only how deep our lines of dependence are but how the inequities of class, race, and industry dictate who may stay inside and who might have no choice but to venture outdoors.
Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021
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Verb
Alec Pierce has had an up-and-down rookie season, which is not only natural for rookies but especially at the receiver position, where coverages and game flow dictate where the ball goes.
Nate Atkins, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Nov. 2022
With five dates boasting six concerts for the 2023 Saturday in the Park Concert Series, Pinchek said community response will dictate whether the series is expanded next year.
John Benson, cleveland, 25 Nov. 2022
The over is a good bet as both teams will be looking to come out strong and dictate the flow of the game with some early shots on goal.
Ian Firstenberg, Chicago Tribune, 24 Nov. 2022
Cox has also argued Congress should be allowed to come up with a lasting resolution for both monuments, rather than have a president unilaterally dictate an outcome without consideration of what local residents want.
Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Nov. 2022
Another speculated that the time constant of the brain, which is similar in rats and humans, would dictate the optimal tempo.
Jacquelyne Germain, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Nov. 2022
Pedri, a 19-year-old who plays for Barcelona, is already the star of a team that also features Gavi, another teenager who will line up in the midfield and help Spain dictate the tempo.
Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 17 Nov. 2022
President Biden has insisted that Ukraine, and not the United States, will dictate if and when negotiations commence to end the war.
Edward Wong, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2022
The tribe expects the enterprise to be open for business seven days a week and employ six to eight people, with seasonal adjustments to store hours and staffing made as business needs dictate.
A.j. Herrington, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2022
Noun
Imaan Hammam and Sheika Daley each applied this dictate to preternaturally luminous skin, the former’s complexion framed by a slideshow of natural mane moments.
Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2022
This may seem odd for a luxury vehicle, but not in an age where the internal combustion engine is being consigned to scrap heap by government dictate.
Tribune News Service, cleveland, 1 Oct. 2022
Roy Cooper wants to bypass the state legislature and let a California consulting firm dictate state policy.
Donna King, National Review, 28 Sep. 2022
Clear rights regarding interference protection can provide incentives for innovation and collaboration among spectrum users in a way that avoids regulatory dictate.
Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 3 Mar. 2022
In terms of Hodges’s dictate for full restoration, precedent plays a key role in acts of curatorial omission or commission.
Randal Doane, Harper’s Magazine , 7 Dec. 2021
The principal went on to note that ahead of the school year, the Illinois superintendent of schools sent a letter to each district threatening schools that did not enforce compliance with the dictate.
Breck Dumas, Fox News, 11 Sep. 2021
Their litany of error serves as a reminder of the risks of letting horse-race political coverage dictate coverage of the pandemic.
Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 10 Aug. 2021
Their work has exposed not only how deep our lines of dependence are but how the inequities of class, race, and industry dictate who may stay inside and who might have no choice but to venture outdoors.
Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dictate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Dictionary Entries Near dictate
Cite this Entry
“Dictate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dictate. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.
Kids Definition
dictate
2 of 2 nounˈdik-ˌtāt
: an order or direction given with authority : command
More from Merriam-Webster on dictate
Nglish: Translation of dictate for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dictate for Arabic Speakers
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