dictation

D2I1C3T1A1T1I1O1N1
US/dɪkˈteɪʃən/

noun

Dictating, the process of speaking for someone else to write down the words.

“His habit, even with friends, was that of dictation.”

Similar
commandbidbidding
OriginLate Latin dictātiō →
Less commonScrabble 12
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Meanings

noundictation (countable and uncountable, plural dictations)

plural dictations

  1. countableuncountableDictating, the process of speaking for someone else to write down the words.

    Since I learned shorthand, I can take dictation at eighty words a minute.

  2. countableuncountableAn activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down.

    We had reading and geography and Canadian history and dictation today.

    1908, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
  3. countableThe act of ordering or commanding.

    ...jurors in England have formerly understood it to be their right and duty to judge only according to their consciences, and not to submit to any dictation from the court, either as to law or fact.

    1852, Lysander Spooner, An Essay on the Trial by Jury
  4. uncountableOrders given in an overbearing manner.

    His habit, even with friends, was that of dictation.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan authoritative direction or instruction to do something

Similar
commandbidbidding
Broader
speech act
Also see
bidbiddingcommand

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Late Latindictātiō
  2. Englishdictation

From Late Latin dictātiō, noun of action from dictātus, the perfect passive participle of dictō. By surface analysis, dictate + -ion.

More words from Late Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic إِمْلَاء, إِمْلَاء
  • إِمْلَاء (ʔimlāʔ)the process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • إِمْلَاء (ʔimlāʔ)an activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Bulgarian дикто́вка, дикто́вка
  • дикто́вка (diktóvka)the process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • дикто́вка (diktóvka)an activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
  • наре́ждане (naréždane)the act of ordering or commanding
  • предписа́ние (predpisánie)orders given in an overbearing manner
Chinese Mandarin 聽寫 /听写, 聽寫 /听写
  • 聽寫 /听写 (tīngxiě)the process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • 聽寫 /听写 (tīngxiě)an activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Czech diktát
  • diktátan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Danish diktat
  • diktatan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Dutch dictee, dictee
  • dicteethe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • dicteean activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Esperanto diktado, diktado
  • diktadothe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • diktadoan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
  • ordonothe act of ordering or commanding
Estonian etteütlus
  • etteütlusan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Finnish sanelu, sanelu
  • saneluthe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • saneluan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
  • saneluthe act of ordering or commanding
  • saneluorders given in an overbearing manner
French dictée, dictée
  • dictéethe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • dictéean activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
German Diktat, Diktat
  • Diktatthe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • Diktatan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Greek υπαγόρευση, υπαγόρευση
  • υπαγόρευση (ypagórefsi)the process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • υπαγόρευση (ypagórefsi)an activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Hebrew הַכתָבָה, הַכתָבָה
  • הַכתָבָה (hakhtava)the process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • הַכתָבָה (hakhtava)an activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Hindi श्रुतलेखन
  • श्रुतलेखन (śrutlekhan)an activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Hungarian tollbamondás
  • tollbamondásan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Icelandic upplestur
  • upplesturthe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
Indonesian dikte, dikte
  • diktethe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • diktean activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
  • imlaan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Irish deachtú, deachtú
  • deachtúthe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • deachtúan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Italian dettatura, dettato
  • dettaturathe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • dettatothe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • dettatoan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
  • ordinethe act of ordering or commanding
  • ordineorders given in an overbearing manner
Japanese 聞き取り, ディクテーション
  • 聞き取り (kikitori)an activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
  • ディクテーション (dikutēshon)an activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Korean 받아쓰기
  • 받아쓰기 (badasseugi)an activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Latvian diktāts
  • diktātsan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Lithuanian diktantas, diktatas
  • diktantasan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
  • diktatasan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Māori āhukareo, āhukareo
  • āhukareothe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • āhukareoan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Norwegian Bokmål diktat
  • diktatan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Polish dyktando
  • dyktandoan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Portuguese ditado, ditado
  • ditadothe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • ditadoan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
  • ordemthe act of ordering or commanding
  • ditameorders given in an overbearing manner
Romanian dictare
  • dictarean activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Russian дикто́вка f дикта́нт, дикта́нт
  • дикто́вка f дикта́нт (diktóvka)the process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • дикта́нт (diktánt)an activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
  • предписа́ние (predpisánije)the act of ordering or commanding
  • распоряже́ние (rasporjažénije)the act of ordering or commanding
  • повеле́ние (povelénije)orders given in an overbearing manner
  • приказа́ние (prikazánije)orders given in an overbearing manner
Slovak diktát
  • diktátan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Spanish dictado, dictado
  • dictadothe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • dictadoan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Swahili imla, imla
  • imlathe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • imlaan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Swedish diktamen, diktamen
  • diktamenthe process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • diktamenan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Thai การเขียนตามคำบอก, คำบอก
  • การเขียนตามคำบอกan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
  • คำบอกan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Turkish dikte, imlâ
  • diktean activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
  • imlâan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Ukrainian дикта́нт, дикта́нт
  • дикта́нт (dyktánt)the process of speaking for someone else to write down the words
  • дикта́нт (dyktánt)an activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
Vietnamese chính tả, ám tả
  • chính tảan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down
  • ám tảan activity in school where the teacher reads a passage aloud and the students write it down

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with dictation

informationeducationlocationapplicationassociationadministrationorganizationcorporationregistrationAsianfoundationcommunicationpopulationnavigationstationaccommodationoperationpublicationvacationtransportationevaluationimplementationinstallationnation
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

dictation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dictation

MLA

“dictation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dictation. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dictation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dictation.

Source: dictation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.