adage
/ˈadɪdʒ
/noun
A proverb or short statement expressing a general truth: the old adage ‘out of sight out of mind’...
- Scientists have shown that there is a degree of truth in the old adage that love is blind.
- They still exchange mnemonic sayings, adages and proverbs.
- The adage, that truth is often stranger than fiction, is a huge understatement.
Synonyms
saying, maxim, axiom, proverb, aphorism, saw, dictum, precept, epigram, epigraph, motto, truism, platitude, cliché, commonplace;
words of wisdom, pearls of wisdom;
expression, phrase, formula, slogan, quotation
rare apophthegm, gnome
Origin
Mid 16th century: from French, from Latin adagium 'saying', based on an early form of aio 'I say'.