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
But today the dictum applies to Israel, as well.
—
Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2025
Not that Wolfe’s dictum was totally off the mark.
—David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
WarGames and The Matrix, each in its own quite different way, follow the classic dictum that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
—Jeremy Dauber, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2025
On the first day of his term, Trump signed an executive order that recognized two sexes, male and female, a dictum that has moved across all departments under his jurisdiction.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictum
Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2025
Not that Wolfe’s dictum was totally off the mark.
—David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
WarGames and The Matrix, each in its own quite different way, follow the classic dictum that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
—Jeremy Dauber, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2025
On the first day of his term, Trump signed an executive order that recognized two sexes, male and female, a dictum that has moved across all departments under his jurisdiction.
—Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictum
Noun
-
The letter claimed Iran was acting within the principles of international law.—
David McHugh,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Conservatives used to understand that federalism is one of the core founding principles that protects our freedoms, but not any more.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Semenya, who was assigned female at birth in South Africa and has high natural testosterone levels, won a European Court of Human Rights judgment in her years-long legal challenge to track and field's rules which did not overturn them.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Sweeney Bell had a tepid response, however, to a recent controversy in which dozens of local Democrats were kicked off the ballot for breaking an Indiana Democratic Party rule.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But in refusing to allow it in Monaco, Albert joined other European Catholic royals who have taken a similar stand over the years to uphold Catholic doctrine on an increasingly secular continent.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Those humanistic and critical values are, for Y, not merely some abstract doctrine but a vital aspect of his identity.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Proof of this axiom comes from the IRS and its publication of the latest (2023) migration numbers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
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Now that Chalamet is also dealing with the headache of his remarks last month to Matthew McConaughey about the lack of impact that ballet and opera have on modern culture, the first and most obvious lesson is that, to quote the old axiom, absence makes the heart grow fonder.—
Josh Spiegel,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Through a request under a Kentucky open-records law, KFF Health News obtained an informed consent form for the AL16 study used at a public institution, the University of Louisville.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Martha’s father, a law professor, had trained her to be a rational, step-by-step arguer.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Alvarado loaded the bases before Guel’s hit and then added 2 runs on 2 errors by the Wildcats.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Cruises are available on a space-available basis only.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the maxim applies in a different way in the documentary Fork in the Road, which made its world premiere Saturday at the Sonoma International Film Festival in California’s wine country.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Mar. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Dictum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictum. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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