dictates

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.

This album – 100% independently produced and distributed outside of the powerful entertainment machine that had forged Choi – rejects the dictates of a society that first rejected him.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026

The margins are so slim, however, that if a hitter isn’t convinced enough on a borderline strike call, and the situation dictates caution, he may not challenge.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

The world governing body's standard policy dictates tickets are listed for resale or transferred to another individual rather than refunded, reserving the latter option for exceptional circumstances like match cancellations.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

Hofmann said, “It is not the form that dictates the color, but the color that brings out the form.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

Matter changes hands, atoms flow in and out, molecules pivot, proteins stitch together, mitochondria send out their oxidative dictates; we begin as a microscopic electrical swarm.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr