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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Example Sentences
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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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Barton gave the jury the impression of a man prepared to go into daily combat on numerous fronts, constantly fighting one battle after another, in service of his principles.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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To address the challenges at hand, a measured approach is needed, grounded in the basic principle of respect for human rights, as declared by the UN Human Rights Commission at Colombia’s request in July 2023.—
Gustavo Petro,
Time,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Under the rule, the agency could ask for facial images, iris scans, finger and palm prints, voice prints and even DNA.—
Jude Joffe-Block,
NPR,
8 Nov. 2025
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Students already in medical school who have taken out federal loans before the new rules take effect on July 1 will be exempted from the cap.—
Tribune News Service,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The ‘major questions’ doctrine, a principle way to interpret statutes, prevents Congress from hiding major powers in insignificant laws.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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But Sauer argued that the doctrine doesn’t hold with regard to foreign affairs, where the President has some inherent constitutional authority.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Read More: Why Trump Didn't Deserve the Nobel Peace Prize The Russian President is a man who lives by the axiom: give an inch, take a mile.—
Luke McGee,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
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In other words, as Cleveland tore through the league last season, the players responded to most of the milestones reached with a collective shrug and worn axioms about nothing mattering until the playoffs.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Palestinians in the West Bank are subject to military law, while Israeli settlers are subject to Israeli civilian law.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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More than half of states now have some form of school cellphone ban enshrined in law, and about two-thirds of school principals reported in a recent RAND survey that their schools have an all-day cellphone ban in place.—
Silas Allen,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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With the 240v power most EV owners use on a daily basis at home or work, 0%-100% takes about 11 hours.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
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Developed with technical support from Quantis, the questionnaire is available to all fashion brands on an optional and non-exclusive basis.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Everything bops breezily along, stopping occasionally to have Dek growl maxims about strength through domination, and observe a decapitation or two.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
4 Nov. 2025
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Visitors who travel down a dirt road to The Hollow — named for the hollow-core concrete that made Mellor wealthy — can enter the compound through a dark, cavernous passage lined with neon signs illuminating maxims from the likes of Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and Flynn.—
Arthur Allen,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dictum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictum. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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