Dicta

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈdɪk.tə/

Definitions

1. A formal statement or assertion made by an authority, especially in legal contexts
2. A comment or observation that serves as a guiding principle or rule
3. A noteworthy phrase or maxim that encapsulates a broader idea or doctrine

Etymology: "Dicta" is the plural of "dictum," so its story is really the story of "dictum." The Latin "dictum" meant "proverb" or "maxim," and it came from "dictus," meaning "having been said," the past participle of "dico," "to say." In other words, a dictum was originally just something that had been said, and in Latin usage it came to mean a saying worth remembering. English took "dictum" directly from Latin, and it kept that sense of a pithy statement that carries authority. Over time it came to describe a remark that a judge, expert or leader delivers as a principle to live by, which is why the plural "dicta" is often used for a set of such guiding remarks. The word is a doublet of "dict," so the two forms share a root but reached English along different paths.