Legal Definitions - dictation

Dictation refers to the process of speaking words aloud with the intention that another person or a machine will write them down or record them accurately. It can also refer to the written or recorded text that is produced as a result of this process.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a judge in a courtroom delivering a detailed oral ruling on a complex case. The judge speaks clearly and deliberately, knowing that a court reporter is present to capture every word. The act of the judge speaking these words for transcription is an example of dictation. Subsequently, the official written transcript produced by the court reporter, containing the judge's exact words, is also referred to as the dictation.

• Consider a physician completing patient notes after an examination. Instead of typing, the doctor speaks into a digital voice recorder, describing the patient's symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment plan. This act of the doctor verbally recording the information is dictation. Later, when a medical transcriptionist listens to the recording and types out the full, structured medical report, that final written document is also considered the dictation.

• Think about a business executive composing an important letter to a client. Rather than typing it themselves, they might call their administrative assistant into their office and verbally convey the entire content of the letter, including specific phrasing and formatting instructions. The executive's act of speaking the letter aloud to be written down is dictation. The completed letter, once typed by the assistant, represents the final dictation.