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."
Synonyms & Similar 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 dictum
The party that once embraced President Ronald Reagan’s campaign dictum that the government was the problem now enthusiastically embraces the government as a political weapon.
—
Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025
Did Jensen want to talk about the absurd, last-minute Biden administration dictum that determined only 18 U.S. allies were friendly enough to get as many of Nvidia’s advanced AI chips as possible?
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Feb. 2025
As a result, in the last quarter century, leading firms began implementing the converse of Taylor’s dictum.
—Steve Denning, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
Smith co-wrote six of the 18 songs — his road schedule kept him from writing more, but, as the Nashville dictum goes, the best song always wins.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dictum
Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025
Did Jensen want to talk about the absurd, last-minute Biden administration dictum that determined only 18 U.S. allies were friendly enough to get as many of Nvidia’s advanced AI chips as possible?
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Feb. 2025
As a result, in the last quarter century, leading firms began implementing the converse of Taylor’s dictum.
—Steve Denning, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
Smith co-wrote six of the 18 songs — his road schedule kept him from writing more, but, as the Nashville dictum goes, the best song always wins.
—Melinda Newman, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dictum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictum
Noun
-
Articulate openly and transparently why these principles are fundamental to the operating culture, particularly when under scrutiny or attack.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Advertisement Advertisement The principles of a free, open, and peaceful space are enshrined in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which all major space powers have ratified, including the U.S., Russia, and China.—
Andrew Hanna,
Time,
13 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The only issue with the price Chelsea Women was sold for was that they were bought by their parent company in a move that helped the men’s team comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) in 2023-24.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The White House takes aim at the Biden administration and Democrats’ handling of the pandemic, arguing lockdowns were detrimental, masks were ineffective, and the 6-foot distance rule was arbitrarily made up by Fauci.—
Elaine Mallon,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Church doctrine calls for the pope to be buried four to six days after his death, unless there are extenuating circumstances.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Conservative Catholics in America charged that Francis’ doctrine of inclusion was damaging the church and depriving the faithful.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
There’s an old axiom in physics, which states that nature abhors a vacuum.—
Letters to the editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2025
-
There is a lot of axiomatics, which seems to be closer to the Greeks, but aren’t the axioms largely chosen at will?—
Simone Weil,
Harper's Magazine,
2 July 2024
Noun
-
The memo signed by Rubio also makes the case that another person, whose name is redacted, should be deportable under the same law.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2025
-
This relic of constitutional law, which the Supreme Court hasn’t taken seriously since its quiet death in the New Deal era, is more mythical than historical—holding, more or less, that Congress cannot delegate its lawmaking power to another branch of government.—
Cristian Farias,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The potential for building more sophisticated internal AI agents capable of handling multi-step tasks with access to large internal knowledge bases increases.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Michael Busch slugged a home run for a second straight day as five of the eight hits by the Cubs (11-7) went for extra bases.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Is there one particular maxim or comment that’s your favorite?—
Mark Holgate,
Vogue,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Senior leaders can keep certain maxims in mind to shape a constructive message that’s both insightful and impactful.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dictum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictum. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share