Fact · Voice and AI
Dictionary.com gives a verb sense of dictate: to prescribe or lay down authoritatively or peremptorily, which it glosses as to command unconditionally.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“to prescribe or lay down authoritatively or peremptorily; command unconditionally”
Dictate: definition, etymology and explanation on Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, n.d., Entry for dictate, verb sense 'prescribe or lay down authoritatively'.
Open the original- What it measures
- The entry lists this sense after the sense of saying words aloud for another person to transcribe or a machine to record. Its example is to dictate peace terms to a conquered enemy.
- What it does not show
- A general dictionary describes common English usage and does not explain how the sense developed. It does not list the idiom 'dictate your future' itself.