dictum
/'diktəm/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- An authoritative declaration or pronouncement: A formal statement expressing a principle, truth, or opinion with authority.
- A judge's remark: In legal contexts, an opinion voiced by a judge concerning a point of law that is not essential to the court's decision and therefore not legally binding as precedent.
Examples of Usage
- General authoritative statement:
- The CEO's dictum that "quality is paramount" guided the company's policies.
- She lived by the old dictum, "Honesty is the best policy."
- Legal context:
- The judge's comments were merely an obiter dictum and did not affect the final ruling.
- While not binding, the dictum in the ruling was widely discussed by legal scholars.
Advanced Usage
- Obiter dictum (plural: obiter dicta): A Latin term used in law for a judge's incidental remark or observation on a point not central to the case. It is often contrasted with , the binding part of a judgment.
- The lawyer argued that the precedent was based on an obiter dictum and should not be followed.
Variants and Related Words
- Dicta: The plural form of , often used, especially in legal writing.
- The text is filled with the wise dicta of ancient philosophers.
- Dictate (verb): To state or order something authoritatively.
- The rules dictate proper procedure.
Synonyms
- Pronouncement: A formal or authoritative announcement.
- Axiom: A statement or proposition regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true.
- Maxim: A short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct.
- Edict: An official order or proclamation issued by a person in authority.
Related Phrases
- As the dictum goes: Used to introduce a well-known saying or principle.
- As the dictum goes, "Time is money."
Noun
- an opinion voiced by a judge on a point of law not directly bearing on the case in question and therefore not binding
- an authoritative declaration