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Meaning of APHORISM

Pronunciation:  'afu`rizum

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WordNet Dictionary
 
 Definition: [n]  a short pithy instructive saying
 
 Synonyms: apophthegm, apothegm
 
 See Also: axiom, maxim

 

 

Webster's 1913 Dictionary
 
 Definition: 
\Aph"o*rism\, n. [F. aphorisme, fr. Gr. ? definition, a
short, pithy sentence, fr. ? to mark off by boundaries, to
define; ? from + ? to separate, part. See {Horizon}.]
A comprehensive maxim or principle expressed in a few words;
a sharply defined sentence relating to abstract truth rather
than to practical matters.

      The first aphorism of Hippocrates is, ``Life is short,
      and the art is long.''                   --Fleming.

Syn: Axiom; maxim; adage; proverb; apothegm; saying; saw;
     truism; dictum. See {Axiom}.

 
Thesaurus Terms
 
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