The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Dictation \Dic*ta"tion\, n. [L. dictatio.]
   1. The act of dictating; the act or practice of prescribing;
      also that which is dictated.
      [1913 Webster]

            It affords security against the dictation of laws.
                                                  --Paley.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

dictation
    n 1: an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
         [syn: command, bid, bidding, dictation]
    2: speech intended for reproduction in writing
    3: matter that has been dictated and transcribed; a dictated
       passage; "he signed and mailed his dictation without
       bothering to read it"