dictation
noun
dic·ta·tion dik-ˈtā-shən 
1
a
: prescription
b
: arbitrary command
2
a(1)
: the act or manner of uttering words to be transcribed
(2)
: material that is dictated or transcribed
b(1)
: the performing of music to be reproduced by a student
(2)
: music so reproduced
Example Sentences
He used a tape recorder for dictation.
Recent Examples on the Web The upshot is a channelling of sheer, visionary imagination, as if the artist were taking dictation from an unseen demiurge. 
Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 4 July 2022 Increasing access to voice through dictation and Siri. Forrester, Forbes, 24 June 2022 Plus improved dictation, Apple Pay Later, and Live Activities — the latter being a feature whereby users can keep tabs on sports scores from the lock screen in real-time. Andy Meek, BGR, 23 June 2022 Apple also demoed selecting text with touch and then using dictation to replace it. Samuel Axon And Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 6 June 2022 Accessibility Text-to-speech dictation and language translation are two ways AI can help with accessibility. Alexey Posternak, Forbes, 6 June 2022 Why would companies with questionable climate plans want investors weighing in, especially when most companies are averse to shareholder dictation on any issue? Tim Mcdonnell, Quartz, 12 May 2022 Dyslexic employees can use the dictation tools that come on many computers to access their full vocabulary and maintain an uninterrupted workflow. Dean Hager, Forbes, 3 May 2022 Tap or click for helpful tips for better dictation in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2022 See More
Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 4 July 2022 Increasing access to voice through dictation and Siri. Forrester, Forbes, 24 June 2022 Plus improved dictation, Apple Pay Later, and Live Activities — the latter being a feature whereby users can keep tabs on sports scores from the lock screen in real-time. Andy Meek, BGR, 23 June 2022 Apple also demoed selecting text with touch and then using dictation to replace it. Samuel Axon And Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 6 June 2022 Accessibility Text-to-speech dictation and language translation are two ways AI can help with accessibility. Alexey Posternak, Forbes, 6 June 2022 Why would companies with questionable climate plans want investors weighing in, especially when most companies are averse to shareholder dictation on any issue? Tim Mcdonnell, Quartz, 12 May 2022 Dyslexic employees can use the dictation tools that come on many computers to access their full vocabulary and maintain an uninterrupted workflow. Dean Hager, Forbes, 3 May 2022 Tap or click for helpful tips for better dictation in Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Late Latin dictātiōn-, dictātiō "uttering of material to be transcribed, command" (Latin, "dictated draft"), from Latin dictāre "to say repeatedly, say aloud words to be transcribed by another, issue as an order" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns — more at dictate entry 1
First Known Use
1624, in the meaning defined at sense 2a(2)
Phrases Containing dictation
Kids Definition
dictation
noun
dic·ta·tion dik-ˈtā-shən
: the act of speaking words that someone writes down or a machine records
dictation
noun
as in instruction
arbitrary command The populace began to protest against the dictation of the occupying government Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- instruction
- suppression
- rule
- repression
- direction
- charging
- prescription
- bidding
- prohibition
- decreeing
- prohibiting
- proscription
- forbidding
- interdiction
- proscribing
- force
- barring
- enjoining
- coercion
- banning
- outlawing
- constraint
- compulsion
- prescript
- interdicting
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- allowance
- toleration
- permission
- sufferance