Fact · Voice and AI
Dictionary.com says dictate can also be used in a broader sense, and gives weather as an example: weather often dictates how many layers of clothes you wear.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“Dictate can also be used in a broader sense. Weather often dictates how many layers of clothes you wear”
Dictate: definition, etymology and explanation on Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, n.d., Explanation section of the dictate entry.
Open the original- What it measures
- The same explanation says that in a very different meaning, dictate means to say something out loud so it can be recorded. The broader sense is the one where something outside a person's control sets the outcome.
- What it does not show
- The example is ordinary and everyday. The entry does not discuss figurative uses such as slogans or advice about careers.