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Definition of dictation noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

dictation

noun
 
/dɪkˈteɪʃn/
 
/dɪkˈteɪʃn/
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  1. [uncountable] the act of speaking or reading so that somebody can write down the words or they can be recorded
    • Her secretary is very good at taking dictation.
    • from dictation I find it difficult to write letters from dictation.
    • at somebody's dictation I wrote some letters at his dictation.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + dictation
    • do
    • give somebody
    • take
    preposition
    • in a/​the dictation
    See full entry
  2. [countable, uncountable] a test in which students write down what is being read to them, especially in language lessons
    • The teacher gave them a dictation.
    • We did a French dictation in class.
    • We had some very difficult words in our dictation.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + dictation
    • do
    • give somebody
    • take
    preposition
    • in a/​the dictation
    See full entry
  3. Word Originmid 17th cent. originally meaning the action of giving orders : from late Latin dictatio(n-), from the verb dictare.
See dictation in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
given
adjective
 
 
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