aphorism
[ af-uh-riz-uhm ]
/ ˈæf əˌrɪz əm /
noun
a terse saying embodying a general truth, or astute observation, as “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton).
QUIZZES
DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!
It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “vacillate” mean?
Origin of aphorism
OTHER WORDS FROM aphorism
aph·o·ris·mic, aph·o·ris·mat·ic [af-uh-riz-mat-ik], /ˌæf ə rɪzˈmæt ɪk/, adjectiveWords nearby aphorism
aphid, aphid lion, aphis, aphonia, aphonic, aphorism, aphorist, aphoristic, aphorize, aphotic, aphrasia
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for aphorism
British Dictionary definitions for aphorism
aphorism
/ (ˈæfəˌrɪzəm) /
noun
a short pithy saying expressing a general truth; maxim
Derived forms of aphorism
aphorist, nounWord Origin for aphorism
C16: from Late Latin aphorismus, from Greek aphorismos definition, from aphorizein to define, set limits to, from horos boundary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for aphorism
aphorism
[ (af-uh-riz-uhm) ]
A concise and often witty statement of wisdom or opinion, such as “Children should be seen and not heard,” or “People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.