axiom
ax·i·om/ˈæk.si.əm/noun
axiom is spelled A-X-I-O-M: 5 letters and 3 syllables (ax·i·om). It appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,214th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, axiom means “A seemingly self-evident or necessary truth which is based on assumption; a principle or proposition which cannot actually be proved or disproved” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of axiom is axioms or axiomata.
How many letters and syllables are in axiom?
| Letters | 5: A-X-I-O-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: ax·i·om |
| In writing | 1.0 times per million words; the 28,214th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is axiom?
Axiom appears 1.0 times per million words in written English, the 28,214th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce axiom?
- UK /ˈak.sɪ.əm/
- US /ˈæk.si.əm/
- /ˈæk.ʃəm/
Axiom has 3 syllables, split ax·i·om in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-axiom.ogg, En-au-axiom.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of axiom
- axioms plural
- axiomata plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does axiom mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A seemingly self-evident or necessary truth which is based on assumption; a principle or proposition which cannot actually be proved or disproved.
Near-synonyms: given, facticity
- 2
A fundamental assumption that serves as a basis for deduction of theorems; a postulate (sometimes distinguished from postulates as being universally applicable, whereas postulates are particular to a certain science or context).
Holonym: formal system
- 3
An established principle in some artistic practice or science that is universally received.
The axioms of political economy cannot be considered absolute truths.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Axiom in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | axiome |
| German | Axiom, Annahme , Postulat, Grundannahme, Ausgangspunkt |
| Portuguese | axioma |
| Spanish | axioma |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does axiom come from?
From Middle French axiome in the 15th century, from Latin axiōma (“axiom; principle”), from Ancient Greek ἀξίωμα (axíōma, “that which is thought to fit, a requisite, that which a pupil is required to know beforehand, a self-evident principle”), from ἀξιόω (axióō, “to think fit or worthy, to require, to demand”), from ἄξιος (áxios, “fit, worthy”, literally “weighing as much as; of like value”), from ἄγω (ágō, “to weigh (down)”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).