Thesaurus results for DICTUMS

dicta

noun

variants also dictums

plural of dictum

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dicta

Noun

As a kid growing up in a religious household, Jean found the strict doctrines of Christianity unconvincing.

— Juliet Linderman, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Even Fitz-Gerald’s locker is a callback to his mom’s doctrines.

— Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 10 July 2026

Definition of doctrines

Noun

Republicans in two red states couldn’t convince voters to change election rules to make their party stronger.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026
However, borrowers who took out federal loans on or after July 1, 2026, face different repayment rules under the new federal student loan framework.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of rules

Noun

But rather than riding on the top of the mikoshi, or portable Shinto shrine, as tradition dictates, the heavily pregnant Kawata walked behind it.

— Reuters, NBC news, 20 July 2026
Starting next week, a 30-member task force will begin reviewing 24 proposals for a cut of Orange County’s Tourist Development Tax proceeds, which state law dictates must generally be used to promote tourism.

— Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 July 2026

Definition of dictates

Noun

Spiritual philosopher Alan Watts is mentioned in Past the Veil’s press release, and Lay imbues these axioms with profundity like only the best teachers can.

— Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 29 July 2026
Everything in mathematics therefore rests on the axioms, or basic building blocks, of the field.

— Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 26 May 2026

Definition of axioms

Noun

For these shoppers, switching to a card or digital wallet may not be a simple alternative, hence the existence of cash-payment laws.

— Brian Delp, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Jim Zouras, a Chicago attorney who’s represented people in hundreds of Illinois privacy lawsuits, said the state has constructed many new data centers since enacting its privacy laws.

— John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of laws

Noun

The walls are robin’s-egg blue, painted with images of meditating skeletons and vaguely inspirational maxims.

— John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026
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

Definition of maxims

Noun

The Pisces Moon in your 7th House of Partnership opposes Venus in Virgo, making another person’s needs hard to ignore while your own standards get louder.

— Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile, the city will work on outreach to get vacant properties registered while putting together a guide explaining what the standards are for owners.

— Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of standards

Noun

And as for Amazon’s core cloud business, which has seen its own boost from post-training reinforcement learning and agent tool use, Jassy noted that 85% of global IT spending is still on-premises.

— Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Investigators found his ashes in a brown paper bag on the floor of the funeral director’s premises more than a year after Bush handed her a little blue coffin and told her Sunny’s ashes were inside.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026

Definition of premises

Browse Nearby Words

dicks

dicta

dictate

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dicta.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dicta. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dicta

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on dicta

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nurture

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes