From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdictumdic‧tum /ˈdɪktəm/ noun (plural dictums or dicta /-tə/) [countable] 1 SAY/STATEa formal statement of opinion by someone who is respected or has authority2 SAYINGa short phrase that expresses a general rule or truth Descartes’ famous dictum: ‘I think; therefore, I am’
Examples from the Corpus
dictum• The trouble with Lukács' dictum is that there is no consensus as to what exactly is Marxist method.• That catches the familiar dictum that science explains particular events by generalizing and by making them cases of laws at work.• Gertrude Stein's most famous dictum was "a rose is a rose is a rose."• More pale humour in the final dictum about the press.• Just as annoying is the pretty dictum that acts must sing live, when most of them can't.• the Catholic church's dictum against birth control• But at Stradey, at the rematch of last season's Cup finalists, Mr Wag's dictum was borne out again.• This dictum is borne out again and again.• This dictum is more familiar in its application to grammar.Origin dictum (1500-1600) Latin “thing said”, from the past participle of dicere “to say” 