dictate
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dic·tate
(dĭk′tāt′, dĭk-tāt′)v. dic·tat·ed, dic·tat·ing, dic·tates
v.tr.
1. To say or read aloud to be recorded or written by another: dictate a letter.
2.
a. To prescribe with authority; impose: dictated the rules of the game.
b. To control or command: "Foreign leaders were ... dictated by their own circumstances, bound by the universal imperatives of politics" (Doris Kearns Goodwin).
v.intr.
1. To say or read aloud material to be recorded or written by another: dictated for an hour before leaving for the day.
2. To issue orders or commands.
n. (dĭk′tāt′)
1. A directive; a command.
2.
a. An underlying constraint: "These men make numerous decisions affecting how they organize their lives according to the dictates of time and place" (William Marsiglio).
b. A guiding principle: followed the dictates of my conscience.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
dictate
vb
1. to say (messages, letters, speeches, etc) aloud for mechanical recording or verbatim transcription by another person
2. (tr) to prescribe (commands) authoritatively
3. (intr) to act in a tyrannical manner; seek to impose one's will on others
n
4. an authoritative command
5. a guiding principle or rule: the dictates of reason.
[C17: from Latin dictāre to say repeatedly, order, from dīcere to say]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
dic•tate
(v. ˈdɪk teɪt, dɪkˈteɪt; n. ˈdɪk teɪt)v. -tat•ed, -tat•ing,
n. v.t.
1. to say or read aloud for a person to transcribe or for a machine to record.
2. to prescribe authoritatively; command unconditionally: to dictate peace terms to the enemy.
v.i. 3. to say or read aloud for transcription.
4. to give orders.
n. 5. an authoritative order or command.
6. a guiding principle: the dictates of conscience.
[1585–95; < Latin dictātus, past participle of dictāre to say repeatedly]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
dictate
Past participle: dictated
Gerund: dictating
| Imperative |
|---|
| dictate |
| dictate |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  dictate - an authoritative rule |
| 2. | dictate - a guiding principle; "the dictates of reason" principle - a basic truth or law or assumption; "the principles of democracy" | |
| Verb | 1. | dictate - issue commands or orders for inflict, impose, bring down, visit - impose something unpleasant; "The principal visited his rage on the students" mandate - make mandatory; "the new director of the school board mandated regular tests" |
| 2. | dictate - say out loud for the purpose of recording; "He dictated a report to his secretary" read - look at, interpret, and say out loud something that is written or printed; "The King will read the proclamation at noon" | |
| 3. | dictate - rule as a dictator |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
dictate
verb
1. speak, say, utter, read out, read aloud, say aloud He dictates his novels to his secretary.
noun
dictate to someone order (about), direct, dominate, bully, walk (all) over, bulldoze, pressurize, lay down the law, browbeat, give orders to, lord it over, pronounce to, domineer What gives them the right to dictate to us?
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
dictate
verb1. To set forth expressly and authoritatively:
Idioms: call the shots, lay it on the line.
1. An authoritative indication to be obeyed:
behest, bidding, charge, command, commandment, direction, directive, injunction, instruction (often used in plural), mandate, order, word.
2. A code or set of codes governing action or procedure, for example:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَأْمُر، يُمْلي أوامِرَهُيُمْلي شُروطَهيُمْلي عَلى
diktovatpředpisovatpřikazovat
diktere
sanella
diktáltollba mond
gefa fyrirmælimæla fyrir umstíla; lesa fyrir
diktantasdiktatoriaus valdoma valstybėdiktatoriusdiktatūradiktuoti
diktētpavēlēt
diktovať
narekovatiukazovati
buyurmakdikte et mekemretmekileri sürmekyazdırmak
dictate
A. [dɪkˈteɪt] VT
1. (to secretary) [+ letter] → dictar
2. (= order) → mandar; [+ terms, conditions] → imponer
he decided to act as circumstances dictated → decidió actuar según (mandasen) las circunstancias
he decided to act as circumstances dictated → decidió actuar según (mandasen) las circunstancias
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
dictate
[dɪkˈteɪt] vt
[+ words, letter] → dicter
vi
to dictate to sb [+ person] → imposer sa volonté à qn, régenter qn
to attempt to dictate to sb → vouloir imposer sa volonté à qn
I won't be dictated to
BUT Je n'ai d'ordres à recevoir de personne.
to dictate to sb [+ person] → imposer sa volonté à qn, régenter qn
to attempt to dictate to sb → vouloir imposer sa volonté à qn
I won't be dictated to
BUT Je n'ai d'ordres à recevoir de personne.
[ˈdɪkteɪt] n (= order) → injonction f
to obey sb's dictates → obéir aux injonctions de qn
the dictates of one's conscience → la voix de sa conscience
to obey sb's dictates → obéir aux injonctions de qn
the dictates of one's conscience → la voix de sa conscience
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
dictate
vt → diktieren; reason/common sense dictates that … → die Vernunft/der gesunde Menschenverstand sagt uns, dass …
vi → diktieren
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
dictate
[vb dɪkˈteɪt; n ˈdɪkteɪt]1. vt & vi (all senses) → dettare
he decided to act as circumstances dictated → decise di agire come gli dettavano le circostanze
he decided to act as circumstances dictated → decise di agire come gli dettavano le circostanze
2. dictates npl (of heart, fashion) → dettami mpl
dictate to vi + prep (person) → dare ordini a, dettar legge a
I won't be dictated to → non ricevo ordini
I won't be dictated to → non ricevo ordini
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
dictate
(dikˈteit) , ((American) ˈdikteit) verb1. to say or read out (something) for someone else to write down. He always dictates his letters (to his secretary).
2. to state officially or with authority. He dictated the terms of our offer.
3. to give orders to; to command. I certainly won't be dictated to by you (= I won't do as you say).
dicˈtation noun something read for another to write down. The secretary is taking dictation.
dicˈtator noun an all-powerful ruler. As soon as he became dictator, he made all political parties illegal and governed the country as he liked.
dicˈtatorship noun1. the authority of a dictator. His dictatorship is threatened by the terrorists.
2. a state ruled by a dictator. That country is a dictatorship now.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
dictate
v. dictar, ordenar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012