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dettare

to dictate

verb det-TAH-reh Less Common
Communication Speech

Origin: Latin dictare, frequentative of dicere 'to say'.

Also means

to impose

Usage Note

Dettare means to dictate text to someone (dettare una lettera) or, figuratively, to impose terms or conditions (dettare legge = to lay down the law). Dettare legge is a very common idiom meaning to dominate or call the shots. It takes avere as auxiliary.

Examples

"Il capo ha dettato le condizioni del contratto."

Natural Translation

The boss dictated the terms of the contract.

Literal Translation

The boss has dictated the conditions of-the contract.

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