apothegm

or ap·o·phthegm

[ ap-uh-them ]

noun

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

apothegm

/ ˈæpəˌθɛm /

noun

1. a variant spelling of apophthegm

Other Words From

• ap·o·theg·mat·ic [ap-, uh, -theg-, mat, -ik], apo·theg·mati·cal adjective
• apo·theg·mati·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of apothegm¹

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

Example Sentences

The fact that it was the manipulative monster Chairman Mao who said, “All genuine knowledge originates in direct experience,” does not make the apothegm less true.

From New York Times

These go by other names too: maxim, apothegm, dictum, epigram, gnome, and sentence.

From The New Yorker

One of my father’s favorite apothegms was that “you can’t argue with success.”

From Wall Street Journal

His most famous apothegm—“What you see is what you see”—is no help, if seeing is supposed to imply comprehending.

From The New Yorker

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

From The New Yorker