dictate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

We’re living in a world where your purchase history, browsing speed and even your ZIP code increasingly dictate the cost of your life.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

President Trump on Friday released long-awaited quotas that dictate how much biofuel made from crops must be blended into the gasoline and diesel supply.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Algorithms are helping to dictate what people watch on TV, where they go on holiday and who they date.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

She said their decision-making is “just as reckless as letting a group of amateur pilots dictate how our airplanes should fly.”

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026

Since I’m letting the universe dictate my life on this Final Day of Childhood, I don’t bother waiting for another train to take me to Thirty-Fourth Street.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon