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

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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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apothegm
Noun
  • But Bluey’s comforted when Calypso tells her a proverb about a farmer who trusts everything will turn out the way it’s meant to be.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Whitaker nicknamed the place Sparrow Hall, a reference to a medieval saint’s proverb about a sparrow who flies over a royal banquet, feeling only a brief moment of warmth.
    Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 17 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Read more The pathetic, slow-motion downfall of Barack Obama Houseguests and fish begin to smell after three days, as the saying goes.
    Aris Folley, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
  • As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
    Fernanda Galan, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Unfortunately, the question of how much worth is placed on an Israeli life versus a Palestinian one is answered mostly in words, and thus, in too direct (and perhaps too didactic) a fashion, when so much of the movie’s drama could have grounded it emotionally.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
  • So Far The word takes on a whole other meaning, however, once Violet enters the swank joint.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Throughout, Snook hams for laughs, turning Wilde’s witticisms and epigrams into slapstick.
    Christian Lewis, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Apothegm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apothegm. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

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