aphorise
|æ-fə-raɪz|
/ˈæfəraɪz/
state briefly / define sharply
Etymology
'aphorise' originates from Greek, specifically the verb 'aphorizein', where 'apo-' meant 'away' and 'horizein' (from 'horos') meant 'to bound, limit'.
'aphorise' is formed in English from the noun 'aphorism' (from Late Latin/Medieval Latin 'aphorismus' < Greek 'aphorismos'), with the verb-forming suffix producing 'aphorize/aphorise' in Modern English.
Initially related to the idea of 'setting off' or 'defining' (a boundary or definition), it evolved into the sense of producing concise, pointed statements — the modern meaning 'to express in aphorisms'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
to express (an idea or observation) in the form of an aphorism or aphorisms; to state tersely and pointedly.
The writer often chose to aphorise complex arguments so readers would remember them.
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Verb 2
(less common) To set off or mark off by a boundary (archaic sense related to Greek roots); rarely used in this sense in modern English.
In older texts one might find the verb used to aphorise a legal limit or boundary.
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Last updated: 2025/09/16 18:30