variants
also dictums
as in doctrines
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."
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dicta
Safe and familiar as that trajectory might be in a post-#GirlBoss rom-com, Goldstein and Joe Kelly’s script adds a little spice into the mix by questioning the dictums of today’s office culture.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 June 2026
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dicta
Noun
-
The Westchester litigation is part of a broader legal effort seeking to have courts reconsider such legal doctrines amid the proliferation of surveillance technologies, data collection and analysis.—
Byron Tau,
Fortune,
11 June 2026
-
For those of us who have struggled with certain doctrines and the many institutional failings of the Catholic Church, the easiness with which Colbert navigates the seeming contradiction of cultural comedy and unapologetic religious faith offers a beacon of hope.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
That’s because your personal circumstance and finances (such as other sources of retirement income and your tax bracket) can be complex and so are the Social Security rules governing them.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Guzzetti said skydiving companies are governed by the same rules any private plane owner has to follow and not the more stringent rules that charter flight operators and airlines adhere to.—
Kristin M. Hall,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
The downturn bolsters the longstanding theory that the Bitcoin market follows the dictates of US election cycles.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
3 June 2026
-
Prioritize Human Oversight And Algorithmic Transparency To balance rapid technological growth with core values, leaders should implement rigorous ethical guardrails that ensure AI integration serves the mission rather than just the dictates of high-tech donors.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Researchers already had reason to believe that the pigeonhole principle can’t be proved from the axioms of PV1 alone, so Li, Chen and Oliveira’s results imply that their other equivalent theorems are also likely unprovable in PV1.—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
1 Dec. 2025
-
The team point, for example, to mathematician Kurt Gödel’s first incompleteness theorem, which states that no consistent system of axioms that can be listed by an algorithm that will prove all the truths about the arithmetic of the natural numbers.—
Ian Randall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In the absence of broad federal legislation, some states have passed laws to address potentially risky and harmful uses of AI, such as the creation of misleading deepfakes and discrimination in hiring.—
Samantha Waldenberg,
CNN Money,
12 Dec. 2025
-
According to the order, the recommendations will not affect state AI laws related to child safety protections, data center infrastructure, state procurement of AI and other topics that have not yet been established.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
By now, decades into Americans’ pursuit of cooking as a mainstream hobby, certain maxims have become near-law among food lovers.—
Emily Heil,
Washington Post,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Both maxims are about the stories people tell themselves.—
Julie Beck,
The Atlantic,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The service Generations of LMR ownership have upheld high standards for property staff to deliver top-notch western hospitality.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
-
The group said Skydive Kansas City adheres to the safety standards set by the largest skydiving organization in the world, including all maintenance requirements established by the FAA.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
While there's no presidential library on the premises, there is a branch of the Chicago Public Library.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
Locking themselves into school, these restless teenagers roamed the premises unsupervised.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dicta.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dicta. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
