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
The majority opinion in Pierce v. Society of Sisters of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary included a now-famous dictum about parents’ rights to shape their children’s upbringing.
—
Charles J. Russo, The Conversation, 5 June 2025
At a Vanity Fair party, Diddy admonished Nash because Cassie’s hair was not in keeping with his dictum.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 28 May 2025
Those organizing in opposition to pipelines in South Dakota, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Rhode Island carry the dictum on their lips.
—Elizabeth Rush, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025
Ultimately, the old dictum still stands – Garbage in, garbage out.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictum
Charles J. Russo, The Conversation, 5 June 2025
At a Vanity Fair party, Diddy admonished Nash because Cassie’s hair was not in keeping with his dictum.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 28 May 2025
Those organizing in opposition to pipelines in South Dakota, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Rhode Island carry the dictum on their lips.
—Elizabeth Rush, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025
Ultimately, the old dictum still stands – Garbage in, garbage out.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictum
Noun
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Both of their research programs focused on cellular logistics, leading to new principles of intracellular transport and cellular organization.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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The same principle applies in commercial real estate.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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By using a digital signal system, Viljoen said there's less personal information that's shared with any website subject to age verification rules.—
Arpan Lobo,
Freep.com,
20 Sep. 2025
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John explains the rules to the first-timers, and the bracket begins — four matches at once.—
Matt Negrin,
Rolling Stone,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Yet this doctrine is less a coherent grand strategy than a set of ad hoc deals, sometimes pro-market and sometimes interventionist.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
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Leninism, with its Bolshevik contempt for religion and family; Frantz Fanon's poisonous doctrine that violence is not only justified but the very path to human dignity; and Islamism's contempt for the West.—
Ayaan Hirsi Ali,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Rob Picciolo axiom of ’98 that a ballplayer shouldn’t be surprised by anything that happens in a game, Cronenworth got a great jump out of the batter’s box, cornered first base precisely and made a crisp slide into second base.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Sep. 2025
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Reese merely flipped that axiom on its head by asking to be coached harder.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Raise the stakes for farmers There have been calls not just to hold farmers more accountable for H-2A violations, but also to reward the ones who comply with labor laws.—
Max Blau,
ProPublica,
16 Sep. 2025
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As lieutenant governor, Duncan backed policies expanding healthcare in rural communities and helped pass the state’s first hate crimes law.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Corps officials will evaluate each request on a case by case basis.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Sep. 2025
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This creates a better environment for fuller, stronger hair to grow—something our testers began to notice after lathering up with it on a regular basis.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And how does Simonson feel about my own Martini maxim: that it must be served with an odd number of olives, while an even number represents the apocalypse.—
Adam Morganstern,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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The Sonicare brushing app is proof that this maxim couldn’t be truer.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dictum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictum. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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