axiom

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ax=i=om

CIDE DICTIONARY

axiom, n. [L. axioma, Gr. that which is thought worthy, that which is assumed, a basis of demonstration, a principle, fr. to think worthy, fr. worthy, weighing as much as; cf. to lead, drive, also to weigh so much: cf F. axiome. See Agent, a.].

•  A self-evident and necessary truth, or a proposition whose truth is so evident as first sight that no reasoning or demonstration can make it plainer; a proposition which it is necessary to take for granted; as, “The whole is greater than a part;” “A thing can not, at the same time, be and not be.”  [1913 Webster]
•  An established principle in some art or science, which, though not a necessary truth, is universally received; as, the axioms of political economy.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Axiom, Maxim, Aphorism, Adage.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

axiom, n.
1 an established or widely accepted principle.
2 esp. Geom. a self-evident truth.

Etymology

F axiome or L axioma f. Gk axioma axiomat- f. axios worthy

THESAURUS

axiom

a belief, a priori principle, a priori truth, absolute fact, accepted fact, actual fact, adage, admitted fact, affirmation, ana, analects, aphorism, apothegm, apriorism, article of faith, assertion, assumed position, assumption, bald fact, bare fact, basis, brocard, brutal fact, byword, canon, catchword, categorical proposition, center, circumstance, cold fact, collected sayings, conceded fact, conjecture, core, current saying, data, datum, demonstrable fact, dictate, dictum, distich, doctrine, dogma, elixir, empirical fact, epigram, essence, essential, established fact, expression, fact, fact of experience, first principles, flower, focus, formula, foundation, fundamental, gist, given fact, gnome, golden rule, golden saying, gravamen, ground, guesswork, hard fact, heart, hypostasis, hypothesis, hypothesis ad hoc, indisputable fact, inescapable fact, inference, inner essence, kernel, law, lemma, major premise, marrow, matter of fact, maxim, meat, minor premise, moral, mot, motto, naked fact, not guesswork, not opinion, nub, nucleus, nuts and bolts, oracle, philosopheme, philosophical proposition, phrase, pith, pithy saying, plain, position, positive fact, postulate, postulation, postulatum, precept, premise, prescript, presumption, presupposal, presupposition, principium, principle, proposition, propositional function, provable fact, proverb, proverbial saying, proverbs, quid, quiddity, quintessence, rule, salient fact, sap, saw, saying, self-evident fact, self-evident truth, sentence, sententious expression, set of postulates, settled principle, significant fact, simple fact, sloka, sober fact, soul, spirit, statement, stock saying, stubborn fact, stuff, substance, sumption, supposal, supposing, supposition, surmise, sutra, teaching, tenet, text, the case, the nitty-gritty, theorem, thesis, truism, truth, truth table, truth-function, truth-value, undeniable fact, universal truth, verse, well-known fact, wisdom, wisdom literature, wise saying, witticism, word, words of wisdom, working hypothesis

ROGET THESAURUS

axiom

Maxim

N maxim, aphorism, apothegm, apophthegm, dictum, saying, adage, saw, proverb, sentence, mot, motto, word, byword, moral, phylactery, protasis, axiom, theorem, scholium, truism, postulate, first principles, a priori fact, assumption (supposition), reflection, conclusion, golden rule, principle, principia, profession of faith, settled principle, accepted principle, formula, accepted fact, received truth, wise maxim, sage maxim, received maxim, admitted maxim, recognized maxim, true saying, common saying, hackneyed saying, trite saying, commonplace saying, aphoristic, proverbial, phylacteric, axiomatic, gnomic, as the saying goes, as the saying is, as they say.