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
This all sounds promising for Geagea, except that his strategy will have to contend with the age-old Lebanese dictum that national political appointments in Lebanon are seldom, if ever, purely a domestic matter.
—
Bilal Y. Saab, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2016
But for political principals to insist on editing procedures or outcomes is certainly inconsistent with the First Amendment’s dictum regarding the press and maintaining the media’s freedom from government interference.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2025
The next Democrat to become president, Bill Clinton, won election in 1992 in part by stressing his adherence to Reagan’s free-market dictums.
—Jennifer M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, over the last quarter century, firms had already begun implementing the converse of Taylor’s dictum.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictum
Bilal Y. Saab, Foreign Affairs, 26 Jan. 2016
But for political principals to insist on editing procedures or outcomes is certainly inconsistent with the First Amendment’s dictum regarding the press and maintaining the media’s freedom from government interference.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2025
The next Democrat to become president, Bill Clinton, won election in 1992 in part by stressing his adherence to Reagan’s free-market dictums.
—Jennifer M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, over the last quarter century, firms had already begun implementing the converse of Taylor’s dictum.
—Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dictum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dictum
Noun
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The core principle is subtraction: removing burdens that weigh reps down, freeing them to excel at human-centric selling while allowing revenue operations to focus on strategic optimization rather than data cleanup.—
Leslie Lee,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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Bad Bunny's new album, in addition to being a musical phenomenon, is a declaration of principles – a love letter to his homeland.—
Wilson Santiago Burgos,
USA Today,
20 July 2025
Noun
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What if my neighbor doesn't follow Milwaukee's rules about weeds and grass?—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
25 July 2025
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Her charges, as a rule, have been greatly comforted in their final moments.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
24 July 2025
Noun
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In recent years, Brazil has become increasingly fragmented, amplified by a widespread subscription to hateful doctrines, culture wars, anti-intellectualism, disinformation on social media, apocalyptic messaging, doomsday conspiracy theories, and ethno-religious identity politics.—
Emi Eleode,
Time,
14 July 2025
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The burial of a pope must precede a conclave, according to church doctrine.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Noun
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To prove those true statements, mathematicians would have to add a new axiom.—
Gregory Barber,
Quanta Magazine,
20 June 2025
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In his first inaugural address in 1933, former President Franklin D. Roosevelt laid out a political axiom that would come to shrewdly diagnose America's thorny brand of insularity.—
Clare Morell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Since the building was built in 1921, it is not required by state law to have a sprinkler system.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
15 July 2025
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The Tennessee Court of Appeals struck a blow against the city on June 5 by ruling 2-1 that a state law that caps metropolitan councils at 20 members is constitutional.—
Evan Mealins,
The Tennessean,
15 July 2025
Noun
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The price-to-earnings ratio of 17.2 trades below the S&P 500’s 26.9, suggesting the stock may be attractively valued on an earnings basis.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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And buyouts mean that towns’ tax bases decrease, bringing in less money to apply to future floods.—
John Seabrook,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
Noun
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Keeping with that maxim, McNally begins with his suicide attempt in 2018 on the heels of a debilitating stroke.—
Sean Woods,
Rolling Stone,
24 May 2025
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Kennedy’s views of individual ingredients oscillate between commonsense dietary maxims and conspiratorial musings.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dictum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dictum. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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