2 meanings
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1 —as in:
Hitler dictated that
Definition
issue commands or orders- Reason dictates that we change the policy.
dictates = commands
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- Public outrage dictates that the law be changed.
- By the time I was in high school, my parents seldom dictated to me, but they were very persuasive.
- The college has rules that dictate what constitutes consent in sexual activity.
- By then Hitler was effectively a dictator even though that wasn't his title.
- And once we reach the city, my stylist will dictate my look for the opening ceremonies tonight anyway.Suzanne Collins -- The Hunger Games
- I was subject to the dictates of my mind, which gave me the maneuverability of a strait jacket.John Knowles -- A Separate Peace
- Portions of it are constantly changing hands, and it is the chance of seizing this or that fragment by a sudden stroke of treachery that dictates the endless changes of alignment.George Orwell -- 1984
- What is my wisdom, if even the fools can dictate to me?Ayn Rand -- Anthem
- Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes;Thomas Jefferson et al. -- The Declaration of Independence
dictates = commands
dictate = control or command
dictates = commands
dictates = controls or commands
dictate = issue commands
2 —as in:
dictate a letter
Definition
say out loud for the purpose of recording- She dictated a letter to her secretary.
dictated = said out loud for the purpose of recording
(in this case, the implication is that the secretary is writing down what is said and will type it up as a letter to send)
(in this case, the implication is that the secretary is writing down what is said and will type it up as a letter to send)
Other Uses (with this meaning)
- She dictated a text message to her phone.
- He is on record now, and is really dictating to Cheever, who writes.Arthur Miller -- The Crucible
- Apart from very short notes, it was usual to dictate everything into the speak-write which was of course impossible for his present purpose.George Orwell -- 1984
- Peter dictated as follows:C.S. Lewis -- Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia
- She wrote at his dictation.Guy de Maupassant -- The Diamond Necklace
- Atticus was speaking easily, with the kind of detachment he used when he dictated a letter.Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Then Mr. van Daan came in to do some dictating.Anne Frank -- The Diary of a Young Girl
- Winston thought for a moment, then pulled the speakwrite towards him and began dictating in Big Brother's familiar style: a style at once military and pedantic, and, because of a trick of asking questions and then promptly answering them...George Orwell -- 1984
- One day, I pause during dictation and go to the kitchen to refresh my coffee and I find the two of them watching a movie together.Khaled Hosseini -- And The Mountains Echoed
dictated = said out loud for the purpose of recording
dictating = talking so that someone else can write what is said
dictate = say out loud for the purpose of recording
dictated = said out loud for the purpose of recording
dictation = saying out loud for the purpose of recording
dictated = said out loud for the purpose of recording
dictating = talk aloud for the purpose of recording in writing