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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.
to say or read (something) aloud for another person to transcribe or for a machine to record: to dictate some letters to a secretary. to prescribe or lay down authoritatively or peremptorily; command unconditionally: to dictate peace terms to a conquered enemy.
DICTATE definition: 1. to give orders, or tell someone exactly what they must do, with total authority: 2. to…. Learn more.
In a very different meaning, dictate means to say something out loud to a person or into a machine so it can be recorded. Up until fairly recently, bosses dictated letters and reports to secretaries who wrote them down.
DICTATE meaning: 1. to give orders, or tell someone exactly what they must do, with total authority: 2. to…. Learn more.
dictate. [transitive] to tell somebody what to do, especially in an annoying way. dictate something (to somebody) They are in no position to dictate terms (= tell other people what to do). dictate how, what, etc…/that….
If you dictate something, you say or read it aloud for someone else to write down.
