axiom means A seemingly self-evident or necessary truth which is based on assumption; a principle or proposition which cannot actually be proved or disproved. It carries an Arena rating of 1790, earned across 8 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, axiom ranks #270 of 17,113 for Most Elegant Words, #893 of 17,123 for Most Malleable Words, #1,121 of 17,111 for Most Sublime Words, #3,401 of 17,116 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
axiom is pronounced /ˈak.sɪ.əm/.
Why “axiom” is a great word
A proposition accepted as self-evidently true, serving as an immovable foundation for reasoning. From Middle French axiome (15th century), from Latin axiōma ("principle, axiom"), from Ancient Greek ἀξίωμα (axíōma, "that which is thought fit, a self-evident principle"), from ἀξιόω (axióō, "to think fit, to require"), from ἄξιος (áxios, "worthy, of like value"). Unlike a theorem, which must be proven from prior truths, or a maxim, which distills practical wisdom into a rule of thumb, an axiom is the untouched cornerstone. It is the unargued point from which the geometrician's lines first extend, the silent assumption that makes the first philosophical question possible, and the invisible plumb line against which all subsequent arguments are measured—the unearned certainty upon which all earned knowledge rests.
Etymology
From Middle French axiome in the 15th century, from Latin axiōma (“axiom; principle”), from Ancient Greek ἀξίωμα (axíōma, “that which is thought to fit, a requisite, that which a pupil is required to know beforehand, a self-evident principle”), from ἀξιόω (axióō, “to think fit or worthy, to require, to demand”), from ἄξιος (áxios, “fit, worthy”, literally “weighing as much as; of like value”), from ἄγω (ágō, “to weigh (down)”).
noun
- A seemingly self-evident or necessary truth which is based on assumption; a principle or proposition which cannot actually be proved or disproved.e.g.“Near-synonyms: given, facticity”
- A fundamental assumption that serves as a basis for deduction of theorems; a postulate (sometimes distinguished from postulates as being universally applicable, whereas postulates are particular to a certain science or context).e.g.“Holonym: formal system”
- An established principle in some artistic practice or science that is universally received.e.g.“The axioms of political economy cannot be considered absolute truths.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- axioma 76% match — An axiom. vs axiom →
- axiomatic 74% match — Self-evident or unquestionable. vs axiom →
- axiomlike 73% match — Resembling or characteristic of an axiom. vs axiom →
- axiomatically 70% match — By the use of axioms; in the form of an axiom. vs axiom →
- maxim 68% match — The Maxim gun, a British machine gun of various calibres used by the British army from 1889 until World War I. vs axiom →
- postulate 68% match — Something assumed without proof as being self-evident or generally accepted, especially when used as a basis for an argument. Sometimes distinguished from axioms as being relevant to a particular science or context, rather than universally true, and following from other axioms rather than being an absolute assumption. vs axiom →
- aphorism 68% match — A concise expression of a principle in an area of knowledge; an axiom, a precept. vs axiom →
- apodict 67% match — An apodictic proposition; a non-mathematical axiom. vs axiom →