axiomatic
adjective
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An axiom is a principle widely accepted for its intrinsic merit, or one regarded as self-evidently true. A statement that is axiomatic, therefore, is one against which few people would argue. Axiomatic entered English from the New Latin word axiōmaticus, and like axiom, it comes ultimately from the Greek word axíōma, meaning (among other things) “that which is reasonable (though not demonstrated to be true).” The word axiom can also refer to a statement accepted as true specifically as the basis for an argument or inference. An example would be: “Nothing can both be and not be at the same time and in the same respect.” Such axioms are often employed in philosophy, as well as in mathematics and geometry, where they are sometimes called postulates.
Examples of axiomatic in a Sentence
Gregory Barber, Quanta Magazine, 20 June 2025
Kucharski notes this profound shift: Instead of assuming that equality was axiomatic and universally accepted, Lincoln chose to reframe it as a proposition.
—Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Macías was believed by Spain to be so weak and ineffectual that future economic benefits for Spain, even after independence, would be axiomatic.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 18 Apr. 2025
It’s been axiomatic from time to time, for decades now, that the United States is in decline, and that somebody else—most recently, China—is the ascendant power.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Axiomatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/axiomatic. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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axiomatic
adjective
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