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- DictionaryDic·tate
verb
- 1. lay down authoritatively; prescribe: "the tsar's attempts to dictate policy"
- 2. say or read aloud (words to be typed, written down, or recorded on tape): "I have four letters to dictate"
noun
- 1. an order or principle that must be obeyed: "the dictates of fashion"
to speak something aloud for a person or machine to record what is said, so that it can be written down: I dictated my order over the phone. dictate something to someone She spent the morning dictating letters to her secretary. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.
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. Definitions of dictate. noun. a guiding principle. “the dictates of reason” see more. noun. an authoritative rule. see more. verb.
5 days ago · 1. verb. If you dictate something, you say or read it aloud for someone else to write down. Sheldon writes every day of the week, dictating his novels in the morning. [VERB noun] Everything he dictated was signed and sent out the same day. [VERB noun] [ Also VERB] 2. verb.
Mar 21, 2024 · To speak in order for someone to write down the words. She is dictating a letter to a stenographer.
[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… What right do they have to dictate how we live our lives? Extra Examples. Definitions on the go.
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. verb (used without object), dic·tat·ed, dic·tat·ing.
to say or read something for someone to write down: Tony was busy dictating letters to his secretary. dictate verb (DECIDE) to decide or control what happens: [ + question word ] The weather will dictate where we hold the party. Phrasal verbs. dictate to sb.
