Aphorism is a
statement of some general principle, expressed memorably by condensing much
wisdom into few words: 'Give a man a mask and he will tell you the truth'
(Wilde); 'The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom' (Blake). Aphorisms
often take the form of a definition: 'Hypocrisy is a homage paid by vice
to virtue' (La Rochefoucauld).
An author who composes aphorisms is an aphorist.
Adjective: aphoristic.