dictum
Americannoun
-
an authoritative pronouncement; judicial assertion.
- Synonyms:
- declaration, order, fiat, decree, edict
-
a saying; maxim.
noun
-
a formal or authoritative statement or assertion; pronouncement
-
a popular saying or maxim
-
law See obiter dictum
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dictum
1660–70; < Latin: something said, a saying, command, word, noun use of neuter past participle of dīcere to say, speak; cf. index
Explanation
"You are what you eat" is a dictum, and so is a law requiring you to curb your dog. A dictum is a formal pronouncement, a rule, or a statement that expresses a truth universally acknowledged. Dictum dates from the 16th Century. It descended from a Latin word that means "something said." In contemporary use, it means more like "something that is officially said." If the principal of your school issues a dictum declaring "no jeans in school," it's time to go shopping.
Vocabulary lists containing dictum
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Fahrenheit 451
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You Can Say That Again: Dic and Dict
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Immediately both Fleming’s Dictum and Nance’s Law struck at the same time.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2017
Dictum, dik′tum, n. something said: a saying: an authoritative saying:—pl.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
The Dictum de Kenilworth, as it was called, was largely taken up with assertions of the authority of the crown, and denunciations of the memory of Earl Simon.
From The History of England From the Accession of Henry III. to the Death of Edward III. (1216-1377) by Hunt, William
It is this real assertion that justifies us in calling the Dictum an Axiom.
From Logic Deductive and Inductive by Read, Carveth
It thus proves the validity of the former Moods by showing that they also essentially conform to the Dictum, and that all Categorical Syllogisms are only superficial varieties of one type of proof.
From Logic Deductive and Inductive by Read, Carveth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
