Fact · Dictation
1624year of first known use
The word dictation comes from Latin dictare, to say aloud words to be transcribed by another, and its first known use in English dates to 1624.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“from Latin dictāre "to say repeatedly, say aloud words to be transcribed by another, issue as an order" ... First Known Use 1624”
Dictation (definition, etymology and first known use), Merriam-Webster editors, Merriam-Webster, 2026, Word History.
Open the original- What it measures
- Merriam-Webster gives 1624 for the sense of material that is dictated or transcribed.
- What it does not show
- First known use reflects the earliest citation the dictionary has found, not necessarily the first time the word was used.