An aphorism is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic (concise) and memorable form. Aphorism literally means a "distinction" or "definition", , which is . The term was first used in the of Hippocrates. The oft-cited first sentence of this work (see Ars longa, vita brevis) is:
The term was later applied to maxims of physical science, then statements of all kinds of philosophical, moral, or literary principles. In modern usage an aphorism is generally understood to be a concise statement containing a subjective truth or observation cleverly and pithily written.