dictum
Formal spoken principle
A dictum is a formal pronouncement or authoritative statement: The coach's dictum was simple: no excuses.
In law, a dictum (or obiter dictum) is a judge's remark that isn't essential to the decision and therefore doesn't set binding precedent.
More loosely, any memorable saying or maxim qualifies: the old dictum that you get what you pay for.
Brief moral principle
- adageTraditional pithy truth
- proverbTraditional saying expressing truth
- sayingShort, wise expression
- axiomSelf-evident starting principle
precept · truism · epigram · apothegm · motto · byword · saw · gnome
Formal legal determination
- opinionSubjective personal belief
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
- findingConclusion from investigation
- holdingMaintaining physical possession
determination · adjudication · sentence · decision · precedent · ratio · decree · order
Formal public announcement
- announcementPublic declaration of information
- statementExpressed claim or fact
- proclamationFormal public announcement
- assertionConfident statement of fact
manifesto · communiqué · bulletin · utterance · avowal · profession · articulation · expression
maxim
Brief moral principle
axiom · precept · truism · epigram · apothegm · motto · byword · saw · gnome · mantra
ruling
Formal legal determination
- opinionSubjective personal belief
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
- findingConclusion from investigation
holding · determination · adjudication · sentence · decision · precedent · ratio · decree · order · injunction
declaration
Formal public announcement
- announcementPublic declaration of information
- statementExpressed claim or fact
- proclamationFormal public announcement
assertion · manifesto · communiqué · bulletin · utterance · avowal · profession · articulation · expression · declamation
mandate
Formal authoritative directive
- fiatAuthoritative official decree
- directiveFormal command or instruction
- orderMethodical arrangement or request
command · injunction · ordinance · rescript · ukase · diktat · pronunciamento · bull · canon · charge
- proverbsproverbs, sayings, maxims, adages, aphorisms
- brevitybrevity, concise, succinct, terse, pithy
- declarationsdeclaration, declarations, proclamation, proclamations, announcement
- maximsmaxim, adage, proverb, saying, aphorism
- principlesprinciple, ethics, tenet, morals, axiom
- ruleslaw, rule, guideline, bylaw, standard
dictumsupplication
Humble plea for help
request · plea · entreaty · suggestion · petition
dictumaside
Brief theatrical digression
small talk · musing · idle chatter · suggestion · chitchat
- dictionary definitionA word's stated meaning
- concise dictionaryShortened word reference book
- English dictionaryReference for word meanings
- online dictionaryWeb resource for definitions
- dictionary entrySingle word's documented meaning
- rhyming dictionaryReference for similar-sounding endings
dictionary, predict, verdict, dictate, prediction, addiction, addict, addicted, contradict