apothegm

American  

[ap-uh-them] / ˈæp əˌθɛm /

Or apophthegm

noun

1. a short, pithy, instructive saying; a terse remark or aphorism.

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apothegm British  

/ ˈæpəˌθɛm /

noun

1. a variant spelling of apophthegm

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Other Word Forms

• apothegmatic
  adjective
• apothegmatical
  adjective
• apothegmatically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of apothegm

First recorded in 1570–80; earlier apothegma, from Greek apóphthegma, equivalent to apophtheg- (variant stem of apophthéngesthai “to speak out”; apo- apo- + phthéngesthai “to speak”) + -ma noun suffix

Explanation

An apothegm is a short instructive saying that's easy to remember and sometimes even slightly witty, like "haste makes waste." An apothegm often expresses a fundamental truth or general rule. To correctly pronounce apothegm, put the accent on the first syllable and give it the short a sound, as in apple: "A-puh-them." It comes from the Greek word apophthegma, meaning "terse, pointed saying," derived from apo-, meaning "from," and phthengesthai, meaning "to utter."

Example Sentences

Apophthegm, Apothegm, a′po-them, n. a pithy saying, more short, pointed, and practical than the aphorism need be, e.g.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

Apothegm The Greeks gambled not only with dice, and at their equivalent for Cross and Pile, but also at cock-fighting, as will appear in the sequel.

From The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims Volume I (of II) by Steinmetz, Andrew

But the Apothegm that Romulus very wittily made Use of, shews plainly that he was no Wine-Drinker.

From Colloquies of Erasmus, Volume I. by Erasmus, Desiderius

Belonging to the same species of Apothegm is what is called the Gnome, a universal expression about life stated briefly.

From Complete Works of Plutarch — Volume 3: Essays and Miscellanies by Plutarch