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
Over the course of several interviews that took place at Sequoia’s Menlo Park headquarters, a library in Burlingame, and at his Hillsborough home, Botha kept returning to the ultimate sports aphorism.
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Michal Lev-Ram, Fortune, 25 July 2024
He’s already thrown out an album’s worth of aphorisms, over an ambient guitar, in the five minutes before the singing part begins.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 4 July 2024
Other Kamala memes are rooted in the hokey nature of a lot of modern political speech: derived from aphorisms and pseudo-philosophical diction in the hope of echoing something like former President Barack Obama’s oratory.
—Christian Paz, Vox, 3 July 2024
Poets assigns allegorical importance to the singer-songwriter’s struggles, leaning into a love of literary allusions and piling the weight of history onto its wounded aphorisms.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for aphorism 
Michal Lev-Ram, Fortune, 25 July 2024
He’s already thrown out an album’s worth of aphorisms, over an ambient guitar, in the five minutes before the singing part begins.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 4 July 2024
Other Kamala memes are rooted in the hokey nature of a lot of modern political speech: derived from aphorisms and pseudo-philosophical diction in the hope of echoing something like former President Barack Obama’s oratory.
—Christian Paz, Vox, 3 July 2024
Poets assigns allegorical importance to the singer-songwriter’s struggles, leaning into a love of literary allusions and piling the weight of history onto its wounded aphorisms.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for aphorism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aphorism
Noun
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Indeed, according to one version of the political proverb attributed to Pyotr Stolypin, the pre-revolutionary prime minister of the Russian Empire, in a year, everything in the country changes; in a century, nothing changes.Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 1 Feb. 2023
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That African proverb captures the essence of teamwork and the rationale for doing it well.Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Well singer Lizzo took the saying to the next level with this Halloween look.Shelby Stewart, Essence, 30 Oct. 2024
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Many fans felt that the saying, which came from poet and writer Dorothy Parker, born in 1893, was outdated and rude.Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Rabinovich offers a masterful overview without wasting a word.Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
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In the stunned, ringing silence of the visiting locker room, Lutz and many others struggled to find words to describe the sting.Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 10 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Biden just doesn’t seem to understand a maxim of all performative endeavors, including politics: the greatest know when to cede the stage.Philip Elliott, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024
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Bickerstaff’s comment captures an integral maxim of sports: process over results.Mat Issa, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near aphorism
Cite this Entry
“Aphorism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aphorism. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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