aphoristic

[ af-uh-ris-tik ]

adjective

1. of, like, or containing aphorisms:

   His sermons were richly aphoristic.

2. given to making or quoting aphorisms.

Other Words From

• apho·risti·cal·ly adverb
• nonaph·o·ristic adjective
• nonaph·o·risti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of aphoristic¹

From the Greek word aphoristikós, dating back to 1745–55. See aphorist, -ic

Example Sentences

That’s nothing new: For decades, Davis has specialized in aphoristic stories that thrive on wordplay, rhythm and irony while avoiding easy sarcasm or dad jokes.

From Los Angeles Times

Expanding on a popular essay published in The Paris Review a month after the exposure of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual predation, “Monsters” sustains an essayistic, sometimes aphoristic tone throughout 250-odd pages.

From New York Times

Piet Hein was the inventor of the grook, a style of short aphoristic poem that he published in Denmark during the Second World War as a form of passive resistance against Nazi occupation.

From Literature

All became the grist for her dark satire, laced with wry, aphoristic asides on the human condition.

From New York Times

I don’t understand why Bradatan finds something redemptive in this embrace of failure, but the Cioran he presents is an entertaining, aphoristic writer whose pessimism becomes comedic, and the ability to laugh in the face of inevitable failure is for Bradatan a very good thing.

From Washington Post