dictate

¹dic·tate

verb \ˈdik-ˌtāt, dik-ˈ\

dic·tat·eddic·tat·ing

Definition of DICTATE

intransitive verb

1

: to give dictation

2

: to speak or act domineeringly : prescribe

transitive verb

1

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

2

a : to issue as an order b : to impose, pronounce, or specify authoritatively c : to require or determine necessarily <injuries dictated the choice of players>

Examples of DICTATE

1. She's dictating a letter to her secretary.
2. They insisted on being able to dictate the terms of surrender.
3. Tradition dictates that the youngest member should go first.
4. The basket's function dictates its size and shape.

Origin of DICTATE

Latin dictatus, past participle of dictare to assert, dictate, frequentative of dicere to say — more at diction

First Known Use: 1581

Related to DICTATE

Synonyms: call, decree, command, direct, mandate, ordain, order

Related Words: ask, petition, request; demand, require

Near Antonyms: cancel, countermand, rescind

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Rhymes with DICTATE

abate, ablate, adnate, aerate, age-mate, agnate, airdate, airfreight, alate, arête, await, backdate, baldpate, bandmate, baseplate, bedmate, bedplate, berate, birthrate, bistate, bite plate, blank slate, blind date, blue plate, bookplate, breastplate, casemate, castrate, caudate, cell plate, cerate, cheapskate, checkmate, chelate, chordate, citrate, classmate, clavate, cognate, collate, comate, conflate, connate, Cook Strait, cordate, create, cremate, crenate, curate, cut-rate, deadweight, death rate, debate, deflate, delate, dentate, derate, dilate, disrate, donate, doorplate, downstate, drawplate, elate, end plate, equate, estate, faceplate, falcate, fellate, filtrate, first-rate, fishplate, fixate, flatmate, floodgate, fluxgate, flyweight, folate, formate, frustrate, gelate, gestate, ground state, gyrate, hamate, hastate, headgate, Hell Gate, helpmate, home plate, hot plate, housemate, hydrate, ice-skate, inflate, ingrate, inmate, innate, instate, irate, jailbait, Kuwait, lactate, lapse rate, legate, liftgate, ligate, lightweight, liquate, lobate, locate, lunate, lustrate, lych-gate, lyrate, magnate, makebate, makeweight, mandate, messmate, migrate, misstate, mutate, nameplate, narrate, negate, Newgate, nitrate, notate, nutate, oblate, of late, orate, ornate, ovate, palmate, palpate, peltate, phonate, pinnate, placate, playdate, playmate, plicate, portrait, postdate, predate, prime rate, probate, prolate, pronate, prorate, prostate, prostrate, punctate, pupate, quadrate, rain date, ramate, rebate, red-bait, relate, restate, roommate, rostrate, rotate, saccate, schoolmate, seatmate, sedate, sensate, septate, serrate, shipmate, short weight, slave state, soleplate, soul mate, spectate, spicate, squamate, stagnate, stalemate, stellate, striate, sublate, substrate, sulcate, summate, tailgate, teammate, Tebet, tenth-rate, ternate, terneplate, testate, third-rate, tinplate, to date, toeplate, tollgate, tractate, translate, tristate, truncate, unweight, update, uprate, upstate, V-8, vacate, vallate, valvate, vibrate, virgate, vulgate, whitebait, workmate