# dictate

/ˈdɪkˌteɪt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dictate
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to speak for transcription

verb · CEFR B1

to say words out loud so that another person can write them down or a machine can record them.

For teachers: to utter words aloud for another person or a device to transcribe. Transitive or intransitive use.

- The manager sat at her desk to dictate a formal letter to her assistant.
- Before the advent of modern email, executives would frequently dictate their entire daily correspondence to a stenographer for later typing.

### 2. to command or control

verb · CEFR B2

to tell someone exactly what they must do in a firm or bossy way.

For teachers: to give orders authoritatively or dogmatically. Often implies an imbalance of power or an overbearing manner.

- You cannot dictate how I spend my own money.
- The occupying force attempted to dictate every aspect of local life, from market prices to evening curfews.

### 3. to determine or influence

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic

to control or influence how something happens.

For teachers: to determine or decisively affect the nature or outcome of a situation.

- Common sense should dictate that you wear a coat in the snow.
- Market forces usually dictate the price of goods, regardless of what the manufacturers might prefer to charge.

### 4. a rule or command

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a rule or principle that you feel you must follow.

For teachers: a guiding principle or an authoritative order that must be obeyed.

- He chose to follow the dictates of his own conscience rather than the law.
- The diplomat found it increasingly difficult to reconcile his personal ethics with the strict dictates of his government's foreign policy.

## Examples

- She always follows the dictates of her conscience.
- The company's strategy was driven by the dictates of the market rather than the CEO's personal vision.
- Philosophers have long debated whether the dictates of reason are universal or if they are shaped by the cultural environment in which an individual is raised.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.