DICTATION

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does dictation mean? 

• DICTATION (noun)
  The noun DICTATION has 3 senses:

1. an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

2. speech intended for reproduction in writing

3. matter that has been dictated and transcribed; a dictated passage

  Familiarity information: DICTATION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DICTATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An authoritative direction or instruction to do something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

bid; bidding; command; dictation

Hypernyms ("dictation" is a kind of...):

speech act (the use of language to perform some act)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "dictation"):

countermand (a contrary command cancelling or reversing a previous command)

order ((often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed)

charge; commission; direction (a formal statement of a command or injunction to do something)

commandment (something that is commanded)

injunction (a formal command or admonition)

behest (an authoritative command or request)

open sesame (a magical command; used by Ali Baba)

Derivation:

dictate (issue commands or orders for)

dictate (rule as a dictator)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Speech intended for reproduction in writing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("dictation" is a kind of...):

language; oral communication; speech; speech communication; spoken communication; spoken language; voice communication ((language) communication by word of mouth)

Derivation:

dictate (say out loud for the purpose of recording)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Matter that has been dictated and transcribed; a dictated passage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

he signed and mailed his dictation without bothering to read it

Hypernyms ("dictation" is a kind of...):

matter (written works (especially in books or magazines))

Derivation:

dictate (say out loud for the purpose of recording)

 Context examples 

Sit at this desk and write to my dictation.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But to save me I can't see any difference between writing jokes or comic verse and running a type-writer, taking dictation, or keeping sets of books.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

His work consisted in writing all the morning to the professor’s dictation, and he usually spent the evening in hunting up references and passages which bore upon the next day’s work.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Of course my statement must be taken cum grano, since I am writing from the dictation of a clerk of the Russian consul, who kindly translated for me, time being short.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

One morning at the end of the two years, as I was writing a letter to his dictation, he came and bent over me, and said—"Jane, have you a glittering ornament round your neck?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

At the present moment I lie abed (having stayed late in order to pay a compliment to the Marchioness of Dover at her ball last night), and this is writ to my dictation by Ambrose, my clever rascal of a valet.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)