Meaning & use
dictums
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“dictums” is a form of “dictum”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
A short statement or saying that expresses a general rule or wise idea.
Grammar: Countable; the plural is 'dictums' or the Latin-style 'dicta'.
Patterns
- a famous dictum
- the dictum that ...
- by the dictum of someone
One of her favorite dictums was that hard work beats talent.
The old dictum "look before you leap" still makes sense today.
He ended his speech with a dictum about patience.
nouncountablelegal
An official statement of opinion made by a judge as part of a legal ruling.
Grammar: Countable; in legal writing the Latin plural 'dicta' is more usual than 'dictums'.
Patterns
- a judicial dictum
- the dictum of the court
- obiter dictum
The lawyer quoted a dictum from an earlier case.
That part of the judgment was only a dictum, not a binding rule.
Judges sometimes include dictums that later courts treat as guidance.
Word forms
| singular | dictum |
|---|---|
| plural (Latin) | dicta |
Common combinations
- a famous dictum
- She often quoted a famous dictum about honesty.
- the dictum that
- He lived by the dictum that time is money.
- an old dictum
- An old dictum says that haste makes waste.
- a legal dictum
- The ruling contained a legal dictum about privacy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- saying
- A general everyday word for a well-known short expression; 'dictum' sounds more formal and authoritative.
- maxim
- A short rule of conduct; a maxim usually gives advice, while a dictum may simply state an opinion.
- pronouncement
- An official or solemn statement; it stresses who said it, while 'dictum' stresses that it is a short general truth.
Word family
- dicta noun
- The Latin plural of 'dictum', common in legal and formal writing.
Commonly confused: dictums or dictation?
dictums vs dictation
'Dictation' means speaking words for someone to write down or a spelling exercise; 'dictum' is a short statement or saying.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'dictums' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Dictums' is a plural countable noun, so it fits after 'several' in option 0. Option 1 uses it after 'a', which needs the singular 'dictum'; options 2 and 3 use it as a verb or adjective, which it is not.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dictums”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.