axiom
UK[ˈaksɪəm]US[ˈæksiəm]
n
A statement or principle that is accepted as true without proof, serving as a starting point for further reasoning.
n
An established rule or principle in a particular field.
Etymology
The word 'axiom' entered English in the late 15th century from Middle French and Latin, but its ultimate origin is the Greek word 'axiōma', meaning 'that which is thought worthy or fit' or 'a self-evident principle'. This Greek term derives from the verb 'axioō', 'to think worthy', which itself comes from 'axios', meaning 'worthy'. The semantic journey is one of shifting from a general notion of worthiness to a specific intellectual worthiness: a principle deemed so worthy of acceptance that it requires no proof. In this way, the logical and mathematical sense evolved from a more general philosophical concept of a self-evident truth.
Analysis
The word 'axiom' is a simplex loanword from Greek. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English spelling that are independently meaningful to a learner.
Examples
The entire theory is built upon a few fundamental axioms.
In geometry, the axiom states that a straight line can be drawn between any two points.
It is an axiom of modern economics that people respond to incentives.