obiter dictum: Meaning and Definition of

ob•i•ter dic•tum

Pronunciation: (ob'i-tur dik'tum), [key]
— pl. ob•i•ter dic•ta
  1. an incidental or passing remark, opinion, etc.
  2. an incidental or supplementary opinion by a judge in deciding a case, upon a matter not essential to the decision, and therefore not binding as precedent.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.