dictates 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of dictate
as in orders
to request the doing of by virtue of one's authority dictated that the terms of surrender be negotiated by his senior staff

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dictates

2 of 2

noun

plural of dictate
as in instructions
a statement of what to do that must be obeyed by those concerned a starchily worded dictate from on high concerning the company's dress code

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dictates
Verb
The time of submission dictates the order in which names appear on the ballot. — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Conventional wisdom dictates that signings from another league must adapt to English football. — Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 The labels follow Apple Music’s introduction in March of AI Transparency Tagging, which dictates in the service’s systems whether a track used AI. — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026 Einstein’s general theory of relativity dictates that a twirling black hole would bring spacetime along for the ride, warping it in a process known as the Lense-Thirring effect. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026 However, next door, Spain’s Non-Lucrative Visa requires a minimum yearly passive income of 28,800 euros (about $32,860), while Italy’s Elective Residence Visa dictates an annual private income stream of about €31,000 (about $35,250). — Brittany Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026 When the government dictates the terms and manufacturers have no realistic way to walk away, that’s price-setting, pure and simple. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Consumers have been feeling the pain, as refining capacity — which dictates the price of products like gasoline and diesel — has become hugely constrained. — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026 All this does is strengthen a tired argument that has existed in baseball since the ‘90s; that market size dictates the winners. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026
Noun
The individual sensibilities of people who directed them were subordinated to dictates of the franchise. — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026 But rather than riding on the top of the mikoshi, or portable Shinto shrine, as tradition dictates, the heavily pregnant Kawata walked behind it. — Reuters, NBC news, 20 July 2026 Starting next week, a 30-member task force will begin reviewing 24 proposals for a cut of Orange County’s Tourist Development Tax proceeds, which state law dictates must generally be used to promote tourism. — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026 The difference is the true deficit, as the Legislature’s nonpartisan budget analyst Gabe Petek sees it — and as common sense dictates. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 9 July 2026 Tradition dictates, in its birthplace of the Piedmont region of Italy, that tonnato is served with thin pieces of veal. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 29 June 2026 The downturn bolsters the longstanding theory that the Bitcoin market follows the dictates of US election cycles. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 3 June 2026 Prioritize Human Oversight And Algorithmic Transparency To balance rapid technological growth with core values, leaders should implement rigorous ethical guardrails that ensure AI integration serves the mission rather than just the dictates of high-tech donors. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026 As fake dating logic dictates, proximity (and, blessedly, only one bed) leads to very real feelings. — Erin La Rosa, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictates
  1. orders
  2. instructions
  3. requests
  4. edicts
  5. requires
  6. directives
  7. mandates
  8. directions
Verb
  • Sampson orders Springfield, his security man, to find that same chemist Reacher is seeking and thus to find Reacher.
    — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • But some orders commissioning justices of the peace, though signed by Adams and sealed by his Secretary of State, went undelivered.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of orders
Noun
  • All fungicides should be used cautiously and according to the label instructions.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have uncovered a new processor attack that can bypass defenses in Intel and AMD chips by exploiting a security gap lasting only a handful of instructions.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of instructions
Verb
  • Proton Mail, acting as a proxy, requests the image and caches it on its own servers.
    — Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The person asked for gas money and Bitcoin, requests the family found suspicious because Goods doesn't drive and didn't have a car in Las Vegas.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of requests
Noun
  • The president’s orders and edicts have no basis in reality, are nonsensical and are making our nation significantly less safe.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Those who oppose the Mexican Mafia, or fail to follow the edicts of the gang’s leaders, are often targeted for beatings or even death.
    — Sean Emery, Oc Register, 22 July 2026
Definition of edicts
Verb
  • This may not come as a surprise in a world not only of AI, but widespread access to technology that requires ordinary people to develop typing skills.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • If the rug requires mold or mildew remediation, consult a professional rug cleaner.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of requires
Noun
  • Nearly one-third of Americans vote by mail and election officials contend there isn’t enough time to revise their systems to comply with the new Postal Service directives.
    — Lindsay Whitehurst, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Nearly one-third of Americans vote by mail, and election officials contend there isn’t enough time to revise their systems to comply with the new Postal Service directives.
    — Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of directives
Verb
  • Timothy is charged with murder — an offense that typically mandates a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole — therefore the judge is required to hold a Miller hearing before sentencing in the case.
    — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
  • One is a 170-page bill that significantly changes juvenile justice procedures, mandates the amount of time served until someone becomes eligible for parole and allows counties to raise a 1% sales tax to fund a juvenile detention center.
    — Jack Harvel August 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of mandates
Noun
  • If people are working from different assumptions, stop and clarify the system before everyone charges off in opposite directions.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • On an infinite graph — an abstraction where the graph extends forever in all directions — one or several infinite seas will dominate.
    — Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of directions

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Cite this Entry

“Dictates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictates. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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