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

On Saturday, Broner apologized for his language, invoking an apothegm of his own invention.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 15, 2015

He was an apothegm slinger; he was unstoppable.

From New York Times • Jul. 22, 2012

The Philip Green approach, "done and dusted, back to the beach", is not their style, any more than his apothegm: "I want to make a profit, not be a prophet."

From The Guardian • Aug. 21, 2010

And Philadelphia's self-controlled Surgeon William Wayne Babcock, who once awed doctors by violating a surgical apothegm and performing an operation on his wife, contributed the first paper.

From Time Magazine Archive

My youthful respect for it has in no degree diminished, and I shall always consider it a substantial refutation of the old apothegm, "Familiarity breeds contempt."

From My Unknown Chum by Fairbanks, Charles Bullard