as in proverb
an often stated observation regarding something from common experience
her mother endlessly repeated the apothegm "cleanliness is next to godliness"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of apothegm
As with every Together Live speaker, each apothegm is met with exuberant applause.
—
Zoë Ghertner, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2019
Zoë Ghertner, Vogue, 10 Jan. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apothegm
Noun
-
The Giants have one of the least-talented and most expensive offensive lines in the entire NFL There's an old NFL proverb that suggests games are won and lost in the trenches.—
Geoffrey Knox,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
-
Nobody plots against anyone, but nobody invokes ancient proverbs, either.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
Noun
-
Sunlight, as the saying goes, is the best disinfectant.—
Tom Blakely,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
-
The better version of this saying is to iterate fast.—
Abdo Riani,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
When someone loses the ability to speak because of a neurological condition like ALS, the impact goes far beyond words.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
-
Pauline’s ability to inhale the essence of materials like gold and apply it to her voice makes her words more lethal than anything DK can do solo.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
It’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story.—
Jann E. Freed,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
-
Her poems of that era — sonnets, epigrams, eminently quotable snippets of rhymed gossip — pulse with the dynamism and attitude of the modern city.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Apothegm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apothegm. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share