First Known Use: 1581
Dictionary
1dictate
verb dic·tate \ˈdik-ˌtāt, dik-ˈ\
: to speak or read (something) to a person who writes it down or to a machine that records it
: to say or state (something) with authority or power
: to make (something) necessary
dic·tat·eddic·tat·ing
Full 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>
See dictate defined for English-language learners
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Origin of DICTATE
Latin dictatus, past participle of dictare to assert, dictate, frequentative of dicere to say — more at diction
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
2dictate
noun dic·tate \ˈdik-ˌtāt\
: an order or direction given with authority
: a rule or principle that guides something (such as an activity or a person's behavior)
Full Definition of DICTATE
1
a : an authoritative rule, prescription, or injunction b : a ruling principle <according to the dictates of your conscience>
2
: a command by one in authority
See dictate defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of DICTATE
1594
Related to DICTATE
- Synonyms
- behest, charge, commandment, decree, command, direction, directive, do, edict, imperative, injunction, instruction, order, word
DICTATE Defined for Kids
1dictate
verb dic·tate \ˈdik-ˌtāt\
dic·tat·eddic·tat·ing
Definition of DICTATE for Kids
1
: to speak or read for someone else to write down or for a machine to record <dictate a letter>
2
: to say or state with authority : order <You can't dictate what I can do.>
3
: to make necessary <Tradition dictates that we go first.>
Word Root of DICTATE
The Latin word dicere, meaning “to say” or “to speak,” and its form dictus give us the root dict. Words from the Latin dicere have something to do with saying or speaking. To dictate is to say words that are to be written down by someone else. To contradict is to say the opposite of what someone else has said. To predict is to say what will happen before it does.
2dictate
noun
Definition of DICTATE for Kids
1
: an order or direction given with authority : command
2
: a guiding rule or principle <She ignores the dictates of fashion.>
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