Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Language: Latin
Origin: 'thing said', from the past participle of dicere 'to say'

dictum

 noun
     
dic‧tum plural dictums or dicta [countable]
1 a formal statement of opinion by someone who is respected or has authority
2 a short phrase that expresses a general rule or truth:
Descartes' famous dictum: 'I think; therefore, I am'
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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