dictate
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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It helps her feel a sense of control over her thoughts and emotions instead of letting them dictate her day.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Accounting rules dictate that companies report segments based on how the “chief operating decision maker” assesses performance and allocates resources.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
In the short term, the Federal Reserve sets interest rates that dictate what businesses and individuals pay to borrow money.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
Mergers and consolidations threaten to dictate which films can get made.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
There is no one here to dictate my horizons.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
Even when intergalactic forces take pains to make the Lantern Corps’ selection process fair, Earth’s unspoken dictates about worthiness make that impossible.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
“A simple rule dictates my buying,” he wrote in his annual shareholders letter in the winter of 2009.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
“Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice, without constraint.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Furthermore, Lord Biggar challenges the core premise of Project Spire and reparatory justice as a whole - that historic suffering directly dictates modern disadvantage.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
It appears to mean serving the dictates of greed and advantage rather than those of goodness and the desire to see justice prevail in the world.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Nor should it be dictated by your RMDs.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
In a Facebook post in which she also posted a letter asking to be relieved of her duties, Stefanishyna said the decision was her own and "dictated by personal circumstances".
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
At Aston Martin, Lance Stroll finished in 13th, ahead of team-mate Fernando Alonso, their positions dictated to a degree by luck under the VSC and their divergent strategies.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
CEO Satya Nadella recently made clear that the tech giant is seeking to steer the AI race away from a future dictated and controlled by frontier model-builders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Circumstances beyond our control however dictated it should be otherwise.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
“When you go ‘pace,’ you’re dictating what the defense does.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Two years of dictating that everyone commute into work on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays was hurting the morale as well as the productivity of many.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Some communities have strong cultural traditions dictating who should fill the caretaker role — in many cases, that’s the eldest daughter.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Spain's use of width creates space for Lamine Yamal and enables them to generate chances, while Rodri and Pedri dominate midfield, controlling possession and dictating the tempo of the game.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Convinced the Americans were about to attack, Castro began dictating a desperate message to Nikita Khrushchev.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Vocabulary lists containing dictate
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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You Can Say That Again: Dic and Dict
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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