as in sayings
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 aphorisms
Vertical white banners bearing Daoist aphorisms and traditional Chinese landscapes adorned the façade.
—
Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
Among the oldest such cultural translations are the Hippocratic aphorisms.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Nietzsche spoke through Zarathustra, aphorisms, and self-contradiction.
—Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Indeed, Schiffmann was more prone to citing postmodernist aphorisms and artists than famous venture capitalists and tech founders.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2025
Which brings us back to the twin aphorisms that began this piece.
—George Pesansky, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
The acting legend, who was baptized and became a minister at the end of 2024, has entered his zen era, content to reel off aphorisms about fame and filmmaking; taking shots while walking backwards into his own mystique.
—Thomas Page, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
Minima Moralia, composed in the shadow of the Holocaust, collects quasi-Marxian fragments and aphorisms that even as postscript to atrocity read as terrible prophecy.
—Jon Raymond
august 5, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
Among the oldest such cultural translations are the Hippocratic aphorisms.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Nietzsche spoke through Zarathustra, aphorisms, and self-contradiction.
—Big Think, 5 Feb. 2026
Indeed, Schiffmann was more prone to citing postmodernist aphorisms and artists than famous venture capitalists and tech founders.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2025
Which brings us back to the twin aphorisms that began this piece.
—George Pesansky, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
The acting legend, who was baptized and became a minister at the end of 2024, has entered his zen era, content to reel off aphorisms about fame and filmmaking; taking shots while walking backwards into his own mystique.
—Thomas Page, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
Minima Moralia, composed in the shadow of the Holocaust, collects quasi-Marxian fragments and aphorisms that even as postscript to atrocity read as terrible prophecy.
—Jon Raymond
august 5, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aphorisms
Noun
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Countless sayings have likened friends to our most precious commodities—safety, home, even precious metals—for good reason.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
31 Mar. 2026
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Blue-and-white minibuses, inscribed with misspelt movie quotes and popular local sayings, snaked through the congestion on the narrow road in front of them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For nine months, Erasmus spent his short nights in a modest dorm and his long days in the print shop, expanding on his collection of proverbs Adagiorum chiliades while Aldus proofread, craftsman carefully laying sets of print and rolling paper through the press.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
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Includes quirky facts, adages, advice, quotes and proverbs, as well as articles about mistletoe, bird nests, perennials, timekeeping, recipes and more.—
Alex Perry,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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These words are fascinating to consider in relation to Soderbergh, who has flitted among genres and subjects with a facility that is easily mistaken for dilettantism, or even ventriloquism.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Clever Mercury in your sign trines lucky Jupiter in your 5th House of Delight, giving your words a playful glow and encouraging authentic self-expression.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aphorisms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aphorisms. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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