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Ipse dixit: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Ipse dixit phrase. A claim made on someone's authority alone, without proof.
How to say it
ip-say DIK-sit/ˌɪpseɪ ˈdɪksɪt/
4 syllables, stressed on the third (DIK).
Ipse dixit in a sentence
We can't change the recipe on the head chef's ipse dixit; show me the tasting notes.
The theory survived for decades on little more than the professor's ipse dixit.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- bare assertion
- dogmatic claim
- dictum
Where ipse dixit comes from
Latin for 'he himself said it'; Cicero tells of Pythagoras's followers settling arguments that way.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The theory survived for decades on little more than the professor's _____.
- ipse dixit
- beg the question
- straw man
Show the answer
ipse dixit: The theory survived for decades on little more than the professor's ipse dixit.