as in principle
formal
a statement or well-known remark that expresses an important idea, observation, or opinion
A doctor must follow the dictum of "First, do no harm."
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Recent Examples of dictum
This all sounds promising for Geagea, except that his strategy will have to contend with the age-old Lebanese dictum that national political appointments in Lebanon are seldom, if ever, purely a domestic matter.
—
Bilal Y. Saab, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2016
But for political principals to insist on editing procedures or outcomes is certainly inconsistent with the First Amendment’s dictum regarding the press and maintaining the media’s freedom from government interference.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2025
The next Democrat to become president, Bill Clinton, won election in 1992 in part by stressing his adherence to Reagan’s free-market dictums.
—Jennifer M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, over the last quarter century, firms had already begun implementing the converse of Taylor’s dictum.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictum
Bilal Y. Saab, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2016
But for political principals to insist on editing procedures or outcomes is certainly inconsistent with the First Amendment’s dictum regarding the press and maintaining the media’s freedom from government interference.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2025
The next Democrat to become president, Bill Clinton, won election in 1992 in part by stressing his adherence to Reagan’s free-market dictums.
—Jennifer M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, over the last quarter century, firms had already begun implementing the converse of Taylor’s dictum.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictum
Noun
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That means improving scalability and speed without sacrificing its core principles of decentralization and security — and ideally making those properties even stronger.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
2 Aug. 2025
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It’s built around an idea or a principle, and the principle is equal access to information.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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What if my neighbor doesn't follow Milwaukee's rules about weeds and grass?—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
25 July 2025
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The finding has long served as the foundation for a host of policies and rules to address climate change.—
Jeff Brady,
NPR,
24 July 2025
Noun
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In recent years, Brazil has become increasingly fragmented, amplified by a widespread subscription to hateful doctrines, culture wars, anti-intellectualism, disinformation on social media, apocalyptic messaging, doomsday conspiracy theories, and ethno-religious identity politics.—
Emi Eleode,
Time,
14 July 2025
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The burial of a pope must precede a conclave, according to church doctrine.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Noun
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To prove those true statements, mathematicians would have to add a new axiom.—
Gregory Barber,
Quanta Magazine,
20 June 2025
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In his first inaugural address in 1933, former President Franklin D. Roosevelt laid out a political axiom that would come to shrewdly diagnose America's thorny brand of insularity.—
Clare Morell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Tuscaloosa's first brewpub, opening after Alabama passed a 2009 gourmet beer law, spotlights musicians, writers and other artists in its Moon Room, serves stylized pub food with indoor-outdoor dining and offers classic pinball, video and board games inside.—
Susan Stapleton,
The Tennessean,
31 July 2025
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In 1965: In a landmark moment for health care, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed amendments to the Social Securities Act of 1935 into law, creating two federal health programs: Medicare and Medicaid.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
31 July 2025
Noun
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The 2024 hurricane season also included devastating storms Beryl, Milton and John, whose names along with Helene, have been retired out of the World Meteorological Organization's rotating alphabetical basis of hurricane names due to their severity.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
2 Aug. 2025
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Many standalone games without bases and reflectors cost from $20-$30 and can be used with your base and scanner/reflector.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Keeping with that maxim, McNally begins with his suicide attempt in 2018 on the heels of a debilitating stroke.—
Sean Woods,
Rolling Stone,
24 May 2025
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Kennedy’s views of individual ingredients oscillate between commonsense dietary maxims and conspiratorial musings.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dictum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictum. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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