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2 VERB If someone dictates to someone else, they tell them what they should do or can do. □ [V n] What right has one country to dictate the environmental standards of another? □ [V wh] He cannot be allowed to dictate what can and cannot be inspected. □ [V + to ] What gives them the right to dictate to us what we should eat? □ [V n + to ] The officers were more or less able to dictate terms to successive governments.

3 VERB If one thing dictates another, the first thing causes or influences the second thing. □ [V n] The film's budget dictated a tough schedule. □ [V wh] Of course, a number of factors will dictate how long an apple tree can survive. □ [V that] Circumstances dictated that they played a defensive rather than attacking game.

4 VERB You say that reason or common sense dictates that a particular thing is the case when you believe strongly that it is the case and that reason or common sense will cause other people to agree. □ [V that] Commonsense now dictates that it would be wise to sell a few shares.

5 N‑COUNT A dictate is an order which you have to obey. □ [+ of ] Their job is to ensure that the dictates of the Party are followed.

6 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Dictates are principles or rules which you consider to be extremely important. □ [+ of ] We have followed the dictates of our consciences and have done our duty.

dic|ta|tion /d I kte I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Dictation is the speaking or reading aloud of words for someone else to write down.

dic|ta|tor /d I kte I tə ^r , [AM ] d I kte I t-/ (dictators ) N‑COUNT A dictator is a ruler who has complete power in a country, especially power which was obtained by force and is used unfairly or cruelly.

dic|ta|tor|ial /d I ktətɔː riəl/

1 ADJ Dictatorial means controlled or used by a dictator. □  He suspended the constitution and assumed dictatorial powers.

2 ADJ If you describe someone's behaviour as dictatorial , you do not like the fact that they tell people what to do in a forceful and unfair way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  …his dictatorial management style.

dic|ta|tor|ship /d I kte I tə ^r ʃ I p/ (dictatorships )

1 N‑VAR Dictatorship is government by a dictator. □  …a new era of democracy after a long period of military dictatorship in the country.

2 N‑COUNT A dictatorship is a country which is ruled by a dictator or by a very strict and harsh government. □  Every country in the region was a military dictatorship.

dic|tion /d I kʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Someone's diction is how clearly they speak or sing. □  His diction wasn't very good.

dic|tion|ary /d I kʃənri, [AM ] -neri/ (dictionaries ) N‑COUNT A dictionary is a book in which the words and phrases of a language are listed alphabetically, together with their meanings or their translations in another language. □  …a Welsh-English dictionary.

dic|tum /d I ktəm/ (dictums or dicta )

1 N‑COUNT [oft N that] A dictum is a saying that describes an aspect of life in an interesting or wise way. □  …the dictum that it is preferable to be roughly right than precisely wrong.

2 N‑COUNT [oft N that] A dictum is a formal statement made by someone who has authority. □  …Disraeli's dictum that the first priority of the government must be the health of the people.

did /d I d/ Did is the past tense of do .

di|dac|tic /da I dæ kt I k/

1 ADJ Something that is didactic is intended to teach people something, especially a moral lesson. [FORMAL ] □  In totalitarian societies, art exists for didactic purposes.