dictum (n.)

"positive statement or assertion," often a mere saying but with implied authority, 1660s, from Latin dictum "thing said (a saying, bon-mot, prophecy, etc.), an order, a command," neuter of dictus, past participle of dicere "to say, speak" (from PIE root *deik- "to show," also "pronounce solemnly"). In legal use, a judge's expression of opinion without argument, which is not the formal resolution of a case or determination of the court.

Entries linking to dictum

*deik-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to show," also "pronounce solemnly," "also in derivatives referring to the directing of words or objects" [Watkins].

It forms all or part of: abdicate; abdication; addict; adjudge; apodictic; avenge; benediction; betoken; condition; contradict; contradiction; dedicate; deictic; deixis; dictate; diction; dictionary; dictum; digit; disk; ditto; ditty; edict; Eurydice; index; indicate; indication; indict; indiction; indictive; indite; interdict; judge; judicial; juridical; jurisdiction; malediction; malison; paradigm; policy (n.2) "written insurance agreement;" preach; predicament; predicate; predict; prejudice; revenge; soi-disant; syndic; teach; tetchy; theodicy; toe; token; valediction; vendetta; verdict; veridical; vindicate; vindication; voir dire.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit dic- "point out, show;" Greek deiknynai "to show, to prove," dike "custom, usage;" Latin dicere "speak, tell, say," digitus "finger," Old High German zeigon, German zeigen "to show," Old English teon "to accuse," tæcan "to teach."

dicte (n.)

also dict, "a saying, maxim, statement," late 14c., from Latin dictum "a thing said" (see dictum). A word long obsolete, but it figures in what is probably the first book printed in English, Caxton's issue of Anthony Woodville's "Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers."

obiter dictum

"statement in passing," a judge's expression of opinion not regarded as binding or decisive, Latin, literally "something said incidentally;" from obiter "by the way" + dictum in the legal sense "a judge's expression of opinion which is not the formal resolution of a case or determination of the court."

Obiter dicta, legal dicta ... uttered by the way (obiter), not upon the point or question pending, as if turning aside for the time from the main topic of the case to collateral subjects. [Century Dictionary]

Latin obiter is from ob "in front of, toward" (see ob-) + iter "journey" (from PIE root *ei- "to go"). Klein's sources, however, say it is ob with the suffix -iter on analogy of circiter "about" from circa. Also see obituary.

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Definitions of dictum

dictum (n.)

an authoritative declaration;

Synonyms: pronouncement / say-so

dictum (n.)

an opinion voiced by a judge on a point of law not directly bearing on the case in question and therefore not binding;

Synonyms: obiter dictum

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near dictum

dictatorship

dicte

diction

dictionary

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did

didactic

didacticism

didactics

diddle