obiter dictum

Definition of obiter dictumnext

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 obiter dictum Unfortunately, the Pennsylvania appellate court did not stop there, although what follows is no more than obiter dictum or, in English, just the non-precedential musings of the court. Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obiter dictum
Noun
  • The analysis of Newcastle scoring with their last four shots on target is reminiscent of Woltemade’s efficient scoring record to start last season.
    Chris Waugh, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The precise composition of ancient Egyptian paints, binders, adhesives, and similar materials used to make artifacts is largely unknown, in part because a full analysis would require taking samples that would damage those valuable artifacts.
    Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • There’s so little cohesion from week to week that last episode’s dramatic cliffhanger — Susan in handcuffs after Rhonda accuses her of kidnapping — is brushed off in an aside in the opening scene.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The admission, an aside in a wide-ranging interview, raised eyebrows in the recovery community given the star’s very public embrace of sobriety after joining a 12-step program following his 2016 split from wife Angelina Jolie.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Obiter dictum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obiter%20dictum. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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