dictum

C2+ Topic:Register & Style

US /ˈdɪktəm/ UK /ˈdɪktəm/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a formal pronouncement or an authoritative saying

He lived by the old dictum that honesty is the best policy.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a formal pronouncement or... pronouncement saying maxim decree edict statement precept adage

Word family

Derived forms dicta

Related forms diction dictate dictator dictionary

Etymology

From Latin dictum ('something said, a saying'), the neuter past participle of dicere ('to say, speak'), used as a noun.

dictum Latin dicere Latin *deyḱ- Proto-Indo-European

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# dictum

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈdɪktəm/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈdɪktəm/

## Meanings
1. a formal pronouncement or an authoritative saying

## Examples
- He lived by the old dictum that honesty is the best policy.

## Synonyms
- pronouncement
- saying
- maxim
- decree
- edict
- statement
- precept
- adage

## Derived Forms
- dicta

## Related Forms
- diction
- dictate
- dictator
- dictionary

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: dictum
- Root: dicere
- Root: *deyḱ-

## Etymology
From Latin dictum ('something said, a saying'), the neuter past participle of dicere ('to say, speak'), used as a noun.

## AI Etymology
Dictum is from Latin dictum ('something said, a saying'), the neuter past participle of dicere ('to say, speak'), used as a noun. The ancestry passes through Latin dictum, Latin dicere, and Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ-. In present use as a noun, it means "a formal pronouncement or an authoritative saying", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include diction, dictate, dictator, and dictionary; derived forms include dicta. The surrounding word family keeps the same base visible in dicta, diction, dictate, dictator, and dictionary, showing how the headword belongs to a larger cluster rather than standing alone.

## Topics
- Register & Style
- General Vocabulary

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dictum

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