axiom - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com

An axiom is a statement that everyone believes is true, such as "supply equals demand" or "the only constant is change." Mathematicians use axiom to refer to established proofs.

Many axioms are so widely used they become clichés—here's one to help you remember what the word means. Axioms are so widely accepted they're seen almost as facts. A police officer interrogating a witness might just as easily say, "Stick to the axioms," as "Stick to the facts, ma'am."

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: axiom

1	n	(logic) a proposition that is not susceptible of proof or disproof; its truth is assumed to be self-evident
2	n	a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: axiom

1

n (logic) a proposition that is not susceptible of proof or disproof; its truth is assumed to be self-evident

Types:: show 6 types...; hide 6 types...; Euclid's axiom, Euclid's postulate, Euclidean axiom
(mathematics) any of five axioms that are generally recognized as the basis for Euclidean geometry; Euclid's first axiom
a straight line can be drawn between any two points; Euclid's second axiom
any terminated straight line can be projected indefinitely; Euclid's third axiom
a circle with any radius can be drawn around any point; Euclid's fourth axiom
all right angles are equal; Euclid's fifth axiom, parallel axiom
only one line can be drawn through a point parallel to another line

Type of:: proposition
(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false

2

n a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits

Synonyms:: maxim

Types:: show 4 types...; hide 4 types...; aphorism, apophthegm, apothegm
a short pithy instructive saying; gnome
a short pithy saying expressing a general truth; moralism
a moral maxim; Murphy's Law, Sod's Law
humorous axiom stating that anything that can go wrong will go wrong

Type of:: expression, locution, saying
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations