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
-
Thus the god of the clan, the totemic principle, can be none other than the clan itself, but the clan transfigured and imagined.—
Glenn Adamson,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
Anything less would be an abandonment of the guiding principles of May Day and our movement.—
Sonia Lawrence,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
But with the lottery alterations, trades and free agency again will return to a forefront that allowed the Heat to return to the forefront for the majority of these three decades of Riley rule.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
He was removed from the assignments last month in what his spokesperson said was a procedural move under House rules following his party change.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The legal doctrine behind the RPA is obsolete as the black-and-white TV.—
Stephen Moore,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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Its recommendations about establishing codes and new communication structures were regarded as endangering the free flow of information doctrine that was heavily supported by the richer industrial countries in the West.—
Stijn Joye,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Andrea Riquier Among serious Fed-watchers, there’s an axiom that new central bank chairs usually face a crisis early in their term.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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An axiom can also be accepted for plenty of other reasons, as Maddy put it — such as for its power to generate interesting theorems.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The internal documents were released only after the Union-Tribune pressed for the records, citing language in Atkins’ law.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Various states have laws that ban people under the age of 21 from purchasing firearms, and there are five pending Supreme Court petitions that challenge a variety of these laws across the country.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Littell loaded the bases with one out in the fourth.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Rambus reported a first-quarter operating margin of 42%, on an adjusted basis, which was lower than the 46% reported in the year-ago period.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
28 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 2 May. 2026.
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