- (v.i.) To speak as a superior; to command; to impose conditions (on).
- (v.i.) To compose literary works; to tell what shall be written or said by another.
- (v.t.) A statement delivered with authority; an order; a command; an authoritative rule, principle or maxim; a prescription; as, listen to the dictates of your conscience; the dictates of the gospel.
- (v.t.) To tell or utter so that another may write down; to inspire; to compose; as, to dictate a letter to an amanuensis.
- (v.t.) To say; to utter; to communicate authoritatively; to deliver (a command) to a subordinate; to declare with authority; to impose; as, to dictate the terms of a treaty; a general dictates orders to his troops.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). dictate. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/dictate/definitions/1997395 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "dictate" http://smartdefine.org/dictate/definitions/1997395 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, dictate, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/dictate/definitions/1997395>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "dictate" 27 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/dictate/definitions/1997395> |