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
-
Throughout the last two days, Ivey centered himself in faith and gratitude — two grounding principles for a player whose career was derailed in January 2025 by a gruesome leg injury.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Double jeopardy is a legal principle that prohibits defendants from being tried for the same crime twice.—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Nanos claimed Cross campaigned against him while wearing his Pima County Sheriff's uniform in breach of department rules, which Cross denied.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Congress can add rules for federal races.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This doctrine was used during the Civil Rights era; if a white defendant was found not guilty of murdering a Black victim in state court in the South, for example, he could still be tried for a civil rights violation in federal court.—
Lorena O’Neil,
Rolling Stone,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Successful leverage of the First Sale doctrine can significantly reduce tariff costs, though companies will need to meet the stringent conditions of the rule and provide extensive documentation of all transactions to CBP.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The axiom about first getting one’s own house in order before pointing to the fault of others is appropriate here.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
-
But even that axiom doesn’t always hold.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the days after the Bondi Beach massacre – allegedly committed by a father and son who had embraced Islamic State ideology – the government announced sweeping new gun laws, tougher rules on hate speech, and stronger powers for the home affairs minister to cancel visas on character grounds.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
-
These include physical resilience, self-defense, marksmanship, map reading, and military law.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Drummond’s office said the state’s outside attorneys are working on a contingency basis, so no fees will be paid unless the state recovers something through a judgment or settlement.—
Paul Monies,
Oklahoma Watch,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Surely there’s some way to pit these guys against each other, to stoke the fan bases, to brew a rivalry for the ages.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The United States is currently living out the first half of that maxim.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Maybe anyone planning long journeys should take those maxims as advice anyhow.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dictum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictum. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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