epigram

noun

ep·​i·​gram ˈe-pə-ˌgram How to pronounce epigram (audio)
1
: a concise poem dealing pointedly and often satirically with a single thought or event and often ending with an ingenious turn of thought
2
: a terse, sage, or witty and often paradoxical saying
3
: epigrammatic expression
epigrammatism noun
epigrammatist noun

Did you know?

Ancient Greeks and Romans used the word epigramma (from Greek epigraphein, meaning "to write on") to refer to a concise, witty, and often satirical verse. The Roman poet Martial (who published eleven books of these epigrammata, or epigrams, between the years 86 and 98 C.E.) was a master of the form: "You puff the poets of other days, / the living you deplore. / Spare me the accolade: your praise / Is not worth dying for." English speakers adopted the "verse" sense of the word when we first used epigram for a concise poem dealing pointedly and often satirically with a single thought or event in the 15th century. In the late 18th century, we began using epigram for concise, witty sayings, even if they didn't rhyme.

Examples of epigram in a Sentence

Benjamin Franklin's famous epigram, “Remember that time is money”.
Recent Examples on the Web On his plane plastered with Trumpian epigrams, Vance makes the case for Trump’s second-term vision of enhanced executive power. Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 26 Sep. 2024 No one could tell the clock by him; no one could quote an epigram of his; no one could ever remember his being a friend of their daddy—or even their granddaddy. E. L. Doctorow, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024 Chevalier wrote that the idea for the reports had come from Oppenheimer, who helped to write them and even chose literary references for the epigrams. TIME, 8 Mar. 2024 One of the book's epigrams is from Amy Richlin of the University of California, Los Angeles, talking about her experience in the 1970s. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Nov. 2023 An epigram for one of his chapters in The Real Anthony Fauci, a quote from C. S. Lewis, offers a hint: Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. Matthew Scully, National Review, 16 May 2023 An epigram by any other name . Bryan A. Garner, National Review, 15 Sep. 2022 Unlike those, an epigram has a flash of pleasing humor in it. Bryan A. Garner, National Review, 15 Sep. 2022 The epigram is applicable to the current stock market flavor-of-the-year, SPACs, or Special Purpose Acquisition Corporations. Jerry Weissman, Forbes, 9 Apr. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'epigram.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English epigrame, borrowed from Latin epigrammat-, epigramma "inscription, epitaph, epigram," borrowed from Greek epigrammat-, epígramma "inscription on a tomb, monument or work of art" (Late Greek, "short poem, epigram"), from epigráphein "to mark the surface of, graze, scratch a mark on, inscribe" (from epi- epi- + gráphein "to cut into, scratch, inscribe, write") + -mat-, -ma, resultative noun suffix — more at carve

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of epigram was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Epigram.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epigram. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

epigram

noun
ep·​i·​gram ˈep-ə-ˌgram How to pronounce epigram (audio)
1
: a short poem ending with a clever or witty expression
2
: a brief witty saying
epigrammatist noun

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