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Dictation (definition, etymology and first known use)
Merriam-Webster editors, Merriam-Webster, 2026
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- Merriam-Webster's dictionary entry for the noun dictation. It gives the senses of the word, its Latin origin in dictare and the earliest known use of the word in English.
- How much weight it carries
- A standard American English dictionary maintained by professional lexicographers. It records how the word is used; it does not describe how dictation software works.
Facts taken from this source
- Merriam-Webster defines dictation as the act or manner of uttering words to be transcribed, and also as the material that is dictated or transcribed.
“the act or manner of uttering words to be transcribed (2) : material that is dictated or transcribed” (Definition, sense 2a)
- 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.
“from Latin dictāre "to say repeatedly, say aloud words to be transcribed by another, issue as an order" ... First Known Use 1624” (Word History)
Pages that rest on this source
- What Is Dictation Software? Types and How It WorksGuide
- What Is Dictation? Voice Typing and Talk to Text ExplainedGuide
- What does it mean to take dictation?Question
- What is a dictation exercise in school?Question
- What is the difference between dictation and diction?Question
- What is the difference between dictation and transcription?Question
- DictationGlossary
- What does dictate mean?Question