An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός aphorismos, "delimitation") is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic (concise) and memorable form. Aphorism literally means a "distinction" or "definition". The term was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates. The oft-cited first sentence of this work (see Ars longa, vita brevis) is:Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience deceptive, judgment difficult.The term was later applied to maxims of physical science, then statements of all kinds of philosophical, moral, or literary principles. In modern usage an aphorism is generally understood to be a concise statement containing a subjective truth or observation cleverly and pithily written.