Pronunciation: /dɪkˈteɪt/

Definitions of dictate

noun the act of giving orders or commands

Example Sentences

A1 The teacher's dictate was to write five sentences using simple vocabulary.

A2 The boss's dictate was to finish the report by the end of the day.

B1 The company's dictate on dress code must be followed by all employees.

B2 The government's dictate on tax regulations caused confusion among business owners.

C1 The dictator's dictate led to widespread oppression and unrest in the country.

C2 The CEO's dictate to cut costs resulted in layoffs and restructuring within the company.

verb to say or read aloud for someone else to write down

Example Sentences

A1 My boss dictates all the important emails to me.

A2 The teacher dictated the spelling words for the students to write down.

B1 The company policy dictates that all employees must wear a uniform.

B2 The coach dictated the team's strategy for the upcoming game.

C1 The government's new regulations dictate how businesses must operate.

C2 The CEO's vision dictates the direction of the company's future.

Examples of dictate in a Sentence

formal The company policy dictates that all employees must attend the mandatory training session.

informal My schedule is dictated by my boss, so I can't make any plans for this weekend.

slang I hate how society tries to dictate what is cool and what is not.

figurative His emotions often dictate his actions, leading to impulsive decisions.

Grammatical Forms of dictate

past tense

dictated

plural

dictates

comparative

more dictatorial

superlative

most dictatorial

present tense

dictates

future tense

will dictate

perfect tense

has dictated

continuous tense

is dictating

singular

dictate

positive degree

dictate

infinitive

to dictate

gerund

dictating

participle

dictating

Origin and Evolution of dictate

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Latin
Story behind the word: The word 'dictate' comes from the Latin word 'dictare', which means 'to say often or repeatedly'.
Evolution of the word: Originally used to refer to speaking or giving orders authoritatively, 'dictate' has evolved to also mean to prescribe or determine a course of action, as well as to record speech for transcription.