Etymology

obiter dictum

Today it means: An incidental remark; especially (law) a statement or remark in a court's judgment that is not essential to the disposition of the case. Full definition →

First used 18th c.Latin obiter
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The story

  1. Latin · borrowed fromobiter
  2. English todayobiter dictum

From Latin obiter dictum (“something said by the way”).

Words from the same roots

Latinobiter all →

obiter

First known use, by meaning

  • from 18th c. An incidental remark; especially (law) a statement or remark in a court's judgment that is not essential to the disposition of the case.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.