Plural of dictum; authoritative statements or formal pronouncements, especially ones that are meant to be followed or remembered.
From Latin dictum meaning 'something said' or 'pronouncement,' derived from dicere 'to say.' The word entered English in the 16th century to describe formal declarations or maxims, particularly legal or official statements.
Dictums appear constantly in legal documents and formal speeches because they sound more authoritative than regular words—there's something about the Latin origin that makes people take a statement more seriously, even if it's saying the same thing as a regular sentence.
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