Dictum (Noun)
Meaning 1
An opinion voiced by a judge on a point of law not directly bearing on the case in question and therefore not binding.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The judge's dictum regarding the relevance of social media evidence was noted by the attorneys, but was not a binding part of the ruling.
- In his written opinion, the judge included a dictum expressing his reservations about the constitutionality of the law, but emphasized that it was not directly relevant to the case at hand.
- The dictum delivered by the justice on the matter of prosecutorial misconduct sparked heated debate among legal scholars, despite its non-binding nature.
- As part of his decision, the judge included a dictum that the court might consider in a future case, but did not directly apply it to the case at hand.
- A justice's dictum from a landmark Supreme Court case decades earlier was cited by an attorney in an attempt to persuade the judge, although its precedential value was dubious.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
An authoritative declaration.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The company's founder made a dictum that the business would always prioritize customer satisfaction above profits.
- The politician's campaign was built around the dictum that every citizen deserves access to quality healthcare.
- The dictum of the school's headmaster was that hard work and discipline were the keys to success.
- The company's mission statement was based on the dictum that innovation and creativity were essential to progress.
- The philosopher's dictum that "knowledge is power" has been widely quoted and debated for centuries.