A condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people.

synonyms: adage, proverb, saw.

Roget 496: maxim, aphorism; apothegm, apophthegm^†; dictum, saying, adage, saw, proverb; sentence, mot [Fr.], motto, word, byword, moral, phylactery, protasis^†.    axiom, theorem, scholium^†, truism, postulate.    first principles, a priori fact, assumption (supposition) 514.    reflection etc. (idea) 453; conclusion etc. (judgment) 480; golden rule etc. (precept) 697; principle, principia [Lat.]; profession of faith etc. (belief) 484; settled principle, accepted principle, formula.    accepted fact.    received truth, wise maxim, sage maxim, received maxim, admitted maxim, recognized maxim &c.; true saying, common saying, hackneyed saying, trite saying, commonplace saying etc. ... show more

Roget 563: neology, neologism; newfangled expression, nonce expression; back-formation; caconym^†; barbarism.    archaism, black letter, monkish Latin.    corruption, missaying^†, malapropism, antiphrasis^†.    pun, paranomasia^†, play upon words; word play etc. (wit) 842; double-entendre [Fr.] etc. (ambiguity) 520; palindrome, paragram^†, anagram, clinch; abuse of language, abuse of terms.    dialect, brogue, idiom, accent, patois; provincialism, regionalism, localism; broken English, lingua franca; Anglicism, Briticism, Gallicism, Scotticism, Hibernicism; Americanism^†; Gypsy lingo, Romany; pidgin, pidgin English, pigeon English; Volapuk, Chinook, Esperanto, Hindustani, kitchen Kaffir.    dog Latin, macaronics^†, gibberish; confusion of tongues, Babel; babu English^†, chi-chi.    figure of speech etc. (metaphor) 521; byword.    colloquialism, informal speech, informal language.    substandard language, vernacular.    vulgar language, obscene language, obscenity, vulgarity.    jargon, technical terms, technicality, lingo, slang, cant, argot; St.    Gile's Greek, thieves' Latin, peddler's French, flash tongue, Billingsgate, Wall Street slang.    pseudology^†.    pseudonym etc. (misnomer) 565; Mr.    So-and-so; wha d'ye call 'em^†, whatchacallim, what's his name; thingummy^†, thingumbob; je ne sais quoi [Fr.].    neologist^†, coiner of words.    ... show more

Roget 564: nomenclature; naming etc. v.; nuncupation^†, nomination, baptism; orismology^†; onomatopoeia; antonomasia^†.    name; appelation^†, appelative^†; designation, title; heading, rubric; caption; denomination; by-name, epithet.    style, proper name; praenomen [Lat.], agnomen^†, cognomen; patronymic, surname; cognomination^†; eponym; compellation^†, description, antonym; empty title, empty name; handle to one's name; namesake.    term, expression, noun; byword; convertible terms etc. 522; technical term; cant etc. 563.    ... show more

Dutch: spreuk, gezegde, proverbium, scheldnaam, schimpnaam, spotnaam, spreekwoord
Polish: przysłowie, porzekadło