as in proverb
an often stated observation regarding something from common experience
what does the aphorism "Hindsight is 20/20" mean?
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Recent Examples of aphorism
Among the oldest such cultural translations are the Hippocratic aphorisms.
—
Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
There is no better proof for this aphorism than the American military’s escalating spat with Anthropic, the creator of the artificial-intelligence model Claude.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
Nietzsche spoke through Zarathustra, aphorisms, and self-contradiction.
—Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
And this aphorism of Thucydides is presented as inevitable, as the natural logic of international relations reasserting itself.
—Haley Ott, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aphorism
Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
There is no better proof for this aphorism than the American military’s escalating spat with Anthropic, the creator of the artificial-intelligence model Claude.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
Nietzsche spoke through Zarathustra, aphorisms, and self-contradiction.
—Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
And this aphorism of Thucydides is presented as inevitable, as the natural logic of international relations reasserting itself.
—Haley Ott, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for aphorism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aphorism
Noun
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What does the phrase squeaky bum time, the racehorse Devon Loch, and the Portuguese proverb ‘morrer na prais’ all have in common?—
Ian Irving,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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The rooms The old Japanese proverb ‘*kachou fuugetsu’—*which translates as ‘flower, bird, wind, moon’ evoking a sense of the transient beauty of nature—is a key concept at the hotel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As the saying goes, any publicity is good publicity.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
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There is an old saying that people who represent themselves in court effectively have a fool for a lawyer.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The game’s objective is to group words or objects into four groups of four based on commonalities within each group as quickly as possible.—
Mark Cooper,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Pause briefly, choose your words with intention, and stay on point.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But the maxim applies in a different way in the documentary Fork in the Road, which made its world premiere Saturday at the Sonoma International Film Festival in California’s wine country.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Mar. 2026
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By now, decades into Americans’ pursuit of cooking as a mainstream hobby, certain maxims have become near-law among food lovers.—
Emily Heil,
Washington Post,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aphorism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aphorism. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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