Dictum is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase "obiter dictum." As a legal term, a dictum is any statement or opinion made by a judge that is not required as part of the legal reasoning to make a judgment in a case. Although dictum may be mentioned in legal arguments, it does not have the legal precedent's binding power, which means that other courts are not obligated to adopt it.
[Last updated in October of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]