dictate to
verb
dictated to; dictating to; dictates to
: to give orders to (someone)
—usually used as (be) dictated to
I resent being dictated to by someone with half my experience.
Examples of dictate to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And also we Southerners have never let a little sugar dictate to us where on the menu a dish should go. —
Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026 Austria retained possession of Venetia, and prudence dictated to the delegates at the Congress of Vienna that continued Austrian predominance in Italy should guarantee the peninsula against French influence. —Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026 During the hearing in the Senate Education committee, some parents and former teachers said the bill doesn’t serve a purpose and dictates to schools how time must be spent. —Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026 They will not be dictated to without far richer incentives, protections, or more sustained pressure than a single special forces operation can provide. —Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026 No one dictates to us what to do. —Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 11 Jan. 2026 Turkish pro-government media celebrated it as an assertion of sovereignty, proof that Ankara would not be dictated to by Washington. —Bobby Ghosh, Time, 22 Dec. 2025 His words are believed to have been dictated to his son Jan, surviving both World War II and subsequent communist rule. —Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2025 In an apology letter dictated to the court by his lawyer, Jenkins said speaking to children is the most fulfilling part of his life now. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025
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.
Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026 Austria retained possession of Venetia, and prudence dictated to the delegates at the Congress of Vienna that continued Austrian predominance in Italy should guarantee the peninsula against French influence. —Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026 During the hearing in the Senate Education committee, some parents and former teachers said the bill doesn’t serve a purpose and dictates to schools how time must be spent. —Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026 They will not be dictated to without far richer incentives, protections, or more sustained pressure than a single special forces operation can provide. —Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2026 No one dictates to us what to do. —Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 11 Jan. 2026 Turkish pro-government media celebrated it as an assertion of sovereignty, proof that Ankara would not be dictated to by Washington. —Bobby Ghosh, Time, 22 Dec. 2025 His words are believed to have been dictated to his son Jan, surviving both World War II and subsequent communist rule. —Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2025 In an apology letter dictated to the court by his lawyer, Jenkins said speaking to children is the most fulfilling part of his life now. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dictate to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/dictate%20to. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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