Dictums

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A formal or authoritative statement expressing a general truth or rule, often guiding conduct or judgments
2. An established statement that conveys a recognized truth or principle, usually used to direct decision-making
3. A clearly expressed and accepted maxim or assertion that serves as a guiding rule or principle

Etymology: "Dictums" is the plural of "dictum," and it is one of two accepted plurals. The other, "dicta," is the Latin plural, which is the form English writers traditionally prefer in formal or scholarly contexts. "Dictum" itself is a Latin noun meaning "a saying" or "something said," formed from the verb "dicere," "to say" or "to speak," the same root behind words like "dictate" and "diction." English borrowed "dictum" directly from Latin, where it was used for an authoritative pronouncement, and it kept that sense in legal and scholarly writing. A judge's remark that goes beyond what a case requires is called an obiter dictum, a Latin phrase meaning "a thing said in passing." The plural "dictums" is the anglicized version, formed by adding the English "-s" that most English nouns take. Both forms are in use, and the choice mostly depends on whether the writer wants a Latinate or an English feel.

Synonyms: maxims, sayings, statements, dictates, pronouncements