Truthism

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A statement of an obvious or widely accepted truth, often one repeated so often that it seems trite
2. A familiar saying or belief that expresses a basic, self-evident fact about life or people
3. An ordinary, widely recognized truth that is stated as a general principle or proverb

Etymology: "Truthism" is a plain formation: the noun "truth" with the suffix "-ism," which in English forms nouns naming a doctrine, belief, or characteristic behaviour. A truthism, then, is a statement so obviously true that it hardly needs saying, the kind of observation that is accurate but adds little to what anyone already knows. The sense has a useful twist. The "-ism" suffix usually points toward a system of belief, as in "socialism" or "Buddhism," but here it has shifted toward a single assertion. The result is a word that names a claim rather than a doctrine, and its meaning turns on the idea of platitude: the truth is real, but it is worn smooth from repetition.

Synonyms: truism, platitude, axiom, maxim, adage