Other forms: dicta, dictums
A dictum is a short formal statement laid down as true. A famous dictum, the old dictum, according to the dictum.
The plural is dicta, in the Latin form. In law, obiter dictum is a remark a judge makes in passing which does not bind anybody, as against the ratio, which does — and lawyers argue about which is which constantly.
1noundictumA short formal statement laid down as true.
“She followed her grandfather's dictum that you should never borrow money from friends.”
dictum is a statement.
Latin dictum means a thing said, from dicere, to say. Dictate and diction are relatives.
Proto-Indo-European
*deyḱ-
Latin
dictum — proverb, maxim
English, today
dictum
Built from
From Latin dictum (“proverb, maxim”), from dictus (“having been said”), perfect passive participle of dico (“to say”). Compare Spanish dicho (“saying”). a doublet of dict.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA