Part 263

Bacon.

Dic"tate (?), n. [L. dictatum. See Dictate, v. t.] A statement delivered with authority; an order; a command; an authoritative rule, principle, or maxim; a prescription; as, listen to the dictates of your conscience; the dictates of the gospel.

I credit what the Grecian dictates say.

Prior.

Syn. -- Command; injunction; direction suggestion; impulse; admonition.

Dic*ta"tion (?), n. [L. dictatio.] 1. The act of dictating; the act or practice of prescribing; also that which is dictated.

It affords security against the dictation of laws.

Paley.

2. The speaking to, or the giving orders to, in an overbearing manner; authoritative utterance; as, his habit, even with friends, was that of dictation.

Dic*ta"tor (?), n. [L.] 1. One who dictates; one who prescribes rules and maxims authoritatively for the direction of others. Locke.

2. One invested with absolute authority; especially, a magistrate created in times of exigence and distress, and invested with unlimited power.

Invested with the authority of a dictator, nay, of a pope, over our language.

Macaulay.

Dic`ta*to"ri*al (?), a. [Cf. F. dictatorial.] 1. Pertaining or suited to a dictator; absolute.

Military powers quite dictatorial.

W. Irving.

2. Characteristic of a dictator; imperious; dogmatical; overbearing; as, a dictatorial tone or manner.

-- Dic`ta*to"ri*al*ly, adv. -- Dic`ta*to"ri*al*ness, n.

Dic`ta*to"ri*an (?), a. Dictatorial. [Obs.]

Dic*ta"tor*ship (?), n. The office, or the term of office, of a dictator; hence, absolute power.

Dic"ta*to*ry (?), a. [L. dictatorius.] Dogmatical; overbearing; dictatorial. Milton.

Dic*ta"tress (?), n. A woman who dictates or commands.

Earth's chief dictatress, ocean's mighty queen.

Byron.

Dic*ta"trix (?), n. [L.] A dictatress.

Dic*ta"ture (?; 135), n. [L. dictatura: cf. F. dictature.] Office of a dictator; dictatorship. [R.] Bacon.

Dic"tion (?), n. [L. dicto a saying, a word, fr. dicere, dictum, to say; akin to dicare to proclaim, and to E. teach, token: cf. F. diction. See Teach, and cf. Benison, Dedicate, Index, Judge, Preach, Vengeance.] Choice of words for the expression of ideas; the construction, disposition, and application of words in discourse, with regard to clearness, accuracy, variety, etc.; mode of expression; language; as, the diction of Chaucer's poems.

His diction blazes up into a sudden explosion of prophetic grandeur.