truism

plural truisms · alternative archaic trueism

1. A self-evident or obvious truth.

   The phrase If something exists, there is porn of it used to be a clever internet meme; now it’s a truism.

   2018 November 13, Kate Julian, “Why Are Young People Having So Little Sex?”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 13 Nov 2018

   2 more examples

   It is a truism that the site of stations is conditioned by history and geography, but Dover Marine especially owes its fascinating and unusual layout to these two factors.

   1959 October 28, T. W. E. Roche, “Traffic Working at Dover Marine Station”, in Railway Magazine, page 677

   It is a truism that the people who attend a rally for President Trump more than two years before he’s on the ballot again are generally strong supporters of President Trump.

   2018 August 3, Philip Bump, “There’s a virus in Trumpland”, in The Washington Post, archived from the original on 21 Apr 2021

   Synonyms: lapalissade, platitude

2. A banality or cliché.

   A medical “truism” holds that nose hair filters the air we breathe and therefore protects us from infection by airborne viruses, bacteria and other pathogens. But, as is often the case with truisms, its history may be more venerable than verified.

   2021 July 30, Richard Klasco, “Is Nose Hair Essential to Fighting Off Colds and Other Viral Illnesses?”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 Jul 2021

   1 more example

   After a little decent sorrow had been put forth for the late "severe affliction," joined with some weariful truisms about resignation to the will of Providence, the rest of the epistle was filled up with reproofs about her ladyship's extraordinary and improper conduct in setting off without his consent!

   1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Remembrance of the Dead”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 321

   Synonyms: platitude, byword, saying, adage, saw, proverb, maxim, apothegm