apothegm

C2+ Topic:General Vocabulary

US /ˈæpəˌθɛm/ UK /ˈæpəθɛm/ See IPA manual

Homophones

apophthegm /ˈæpəˌθɛm/

Meanings

1

noun
a terse, pointed saying expressing a general truth

'Know thyself' is a famous Greek apothegm.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a terse, pointed saying... maxim aphorism adage apophthegm saying dictum epigram

Word family

Derived forms apothegmatic

Related forms apophthegm

Etymology

A variant spelling of apophthegm, from Greek apophthegma ('a terse, pointed saying'), from apophthengesthai ('to speak plainly'), from apo- ('forth') + phthengesthai ('to utter').

apóphthegma Ancient Greek phthéngesthai Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# apothegm

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈæpəˌθɛm/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈæpəθɛm/

## Meanings
1. a terse, pointed saying expressing a general truth

## Examples
- 'Know thyself' is a famous Greek apothegm.

## Synonyms
- maxim
- aphorism
- adage
- apophthegm
- saying
- dictum
- epigram

## Derived Forms
- apothegmatic

## Related Forms
- apophthegm

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: apóphthegma
- Root: phthéngesthai

## Etymology
A variant spelling of apophthegm, from Greek apophthegma ('a terse, pointed saying'), from apophthengesthai ('to speak plainly'), from apo- ('forth') + phthengesthai ('to utter').

## AI Etymology
Apothegm is a noun meaning "a terse, pointed saying expressing a general truth". Historically, it is a variant spelling of apophthegm, from Greek apophthegma ('a terse, pointed saying'), from apophthengesthai ('to speak plainly'), from apo- ('forth') + phthengesthai ('to utter'). The visible construction is part of the etymology: apothegm is not just an unanalyzed simple word. The historical chain links Ancient Greek apóphthegma with Ancient Greek phthéngesthai. Close English family members include apothegmatic, and apophthegm.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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