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
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
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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In the early years of Islam, when states hardly existed as such in the Arab world, Sharia helped communities to manage their own affairs, based on a set of guidelines drawn from the Quran and on the sayings of the Prophet.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
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That these sayings are meant to reflect something both deep and asinine about the film itself is self-evident.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
15 Feb. 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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First, with a medical notes transcription that gets Very Important words wrong and then after a complete digital blackout.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Letters may be up to 200 words and must be signed with your email address, city of residence and daytime phone number for verification.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aphorisms.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aphorisms. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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