Axiom
noun /ˈæksɪəm/ — A truth so basic it doesn't need proving.
Definition
A statement or proposition that is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true; a foundation for reasoning.
Beyond the definition
Axioms are the load-bearing walls of thought systems. Every field — mathematics, ethics, physics — rests on axioms: things accepted as true in order to reason about everything else. The dangerous ones are the unexamined axioms we carry without knowing.
Origin & history
From Greek axioma — that which is thought worthy (axios 'worthy'). A worthy, self-evident truth.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The axiom that markets self-correct was accepted without question — until it wasn't.
Every philosophy rests on axioms you never chose; you simply inherited them.
In mathematics, axioms are the starting points; in life, they're often invisible.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Axiom” when the meaning fits your context: A statement or proposition that is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true; a foundation for reasoning.
Synonyms
postulate, principle, self-evident truth, premise, given
Antonyms
hypothesis, conjecture, assumption
Related words
Axiom vs tenet
An axiom is a starting point for logical reasoning or mathematics. A tenet is a specific belief or principle held by a group, such as a religion or political organization.
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
A mathematician once gave a lecture on the axioms underlying the mathematics of everyday physics. What she showed, over ninety minutes, was how many things we accept without proof because we have to — because if you keep asking "but why?" long enough, you eventually arrive at something that cannot be justified, only agreed to.
The audience was unsettled in the way that is the sign of a good lecture.
"The surprising thing," she said at the end, "is not that we have axioms. Everything does. The surprising thing is how seldom we examine them."
Questions about this word
What does "Axiom" mean?
Axiom is noun meaning: A truth so basic it doesn't need proving.. A statement or proposition that is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true; a foundation for reasoning.
Which words express “questioning how we know things”?
Axiom — A truth so basic it doesn't need proving.
Where does the word "Axiom" come from?
From Greek axioma — that which is thought worthy (axios 'worthy'). A worthy, self-evident truth.