dictate
Read aloud officially
To dictate is to speak aloud for someone else to write down or for a machine to record: She dictated the letter to her assistant.
Dictate also means to impose terms or commands authoritatively: The victors dictated the terms of surrender.
Circumstances can dictate outcomes: Weather will dictate whether we go.
As a noun, a dictate is an authoritative order or guiding principle: the dictates of conscience, the dictates of fashion.
State officially
- insistAssert with determination
- stateCondition or mode
- pronounceUtter distinctly, vocalize
- proclaimDeclare officially and openly
lay down · stipulate · specify · demand · require · compel · enforce · assert
Methodical arrangement or request
- decreeAuthoritative legal command
- mandateFormal authoritative directive
- directUndeviating or to guide
- instructConvey knowledge or orders
prescribe · enjoin · command · directive · proclamation · fiat · pronouncement · dictum
Compressed symbolic writing system
- shorthandAbbreviated writing system
- transcriptionWritten version of speech
- verbatimIn identical wording
- dictaphoneAudio capture device for transcription
transcriber · typist · secretary · court reporter · captioning · minutes · note-taking · scribe
declare
State officially
proclaim · lay down · stipulate · specify · demand · require · compel · enforce · assert · maintain
order
Methodical arrangement or request
instruct · prescribe · enjoin · command · directive · proclamation · fiat · pronouncement · dictum · ultimatum
stenography
Compressed symbolic writing system
- shorthandAbbreviated writing system
- transcriptionWritten version of speech
- verbatimIn identical wording
dictaphone · transcriber · typist · secretary · court reporter · captioning · minutes · note-taking · scribe · amanuensis
influence
Power to affect others
determine · guide · decide · affect · condition · constrain · drive · set · establish · define
- commandsgo, stop, wait, come, run
- governance verbsgovern, rule, reign, legislate, regulate
- leadership verbslead, command, direct, manage, supervise
- lord it overboss around, bully, intimidate, dominate, oppress
- ordersorder, command, decree, mandate, proclamation
- decreesdecree, proclamation, fiat, dictum, mandate
dictateobey
Follow commands given
follow · comply · submit · defer · take orders
dictatesuggestion
Idea proposed for consideration
recommendation · proposal · entreaty · plea · appeal
- military dictator
- military dictatorshipRegime ruled by armed forces
- taking dictation
- tin-pot dictatorWeak ruler pretending grandeur
- tinpot dictatorContemptible small-scale authoritarian
- tin-pot dictatorshipWeak authoritarian state
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