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
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Fahrenheit 451
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
You Can Say That Again: Dic and Dict
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
In his own Senate hearing last month, Warsh mocked policymakers and economists for ignoring Friedman’s dictum.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
A common and mostly true dictum holds that democratic societies possess a capacity for self-criticism and self-correction that autocracies don’t.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Putting the experience of making “Faces of Death” in perspective, Goldhaber references Jean-Luc Godard’s famous dictum that every film is a documentary of its own making.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
Since then, Huxley’s dictum of “man remaining man” has become stretched.
From Slate • Jul. 28, 2025
If Clausewitz’s dictum is so subtle, complex, and misunderstood, how is the reader being enlightened by being told it is false?
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
