dictates

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.

“A simple rule dictates my buying,” he wrote in his annual shareholders letter in the winter of 2009.

From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026

“Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice, without constraint.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

She believes that if all the signs point to a partner-less destiny anyway, then she may as well flout the dictates of her mother and the marriage mart.

From Salon • Jun. 25, 2026

Rigid operational dictates cause infrastructure investment to plummet, ultimately degrading track quality and severely hurting long-term economic productivity.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

Grandmother Lucy says that decorum dictates I stay home unless you tell me it is all right to come.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles