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Narrate vs Dictate - What's the difference?

narrate | dictate |

As verbs the difference between narrate and dictate

is that narrate is to relate a story or series of events by speech or writing while dictate is to order, command, control.

As a noun dictate is

an order or command.

narrate

English

Verb

(narrat)
  • To relate a story or series of events by speech or writing.
  • To give an account.

    • Related terms

    * narrater * narration * narrative * narrator * narratory

    Synonyms

    * (relate) tell * (give an account) report

    dictate

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An order or command.
    • I must obey the dictates of my conscience.

    Verb

    (dictat)
  • To order, command, control.
  • * 2001 , Sydney I. Landau, Dictionaries: The Art and Craft of Lexicography , Cambridge University Press (ISBN 0-521-78512-X), page 409,
    • Trademark Owners will nevertheless try to dictate how their marks are to be represented, but dictionary publishers with spine can resist such pressure.
  • To speak in order for someone to write down the words.
    • She is dictating a letter to a stenographer.
    The French teacher dictated a passage from Victor Hugo.

    Derived terms

    * dictation * dictator