gnomic
adjective
gno·mic
| \ ËnĆ-mik
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Definition of gnomic
1
: characterized by aphorism
gnomic utterances
2
: given to the composition of gnomic writing
a gnomic poet
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Examples of gnomic in a Sentence
He made gnomic utterances concerning death.
Recent Examples on the Web
His heroic aphoristic arc takes us not from the chilly La Rochefoucauld to the witty Wilde but from the elliptical Pascal to the gnomic Nietzsche, both of whom encrypted their philosophies in brief bursts of memorable obscurity. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, "The Art of Aphorism," 15 July 2019 It is bookended by two mammoth works featuring a camouflage patternâan apt motif for an artist who cultivated a facade of blank neutrality, parrying probing questions about his art and inspiration with gnomic sound bites. — Brenda Cronin, WSJ, "Warhol Takes New York, Again," 26 Oct. 2018 This blending of gnomic pronouncements with macho intimations of violenceâa little Heidegger, a little more Hunter S. Thompsonâis the weakness in Neelâs thinking and in his prose. — Jedediah Purdy, The New Republic, "The Remaking of Class," 27 June 2018 That is Thomsonâs signature note: a mixture of excitement and rue wrapped up in a sweeping paradox that leapfrogs into the gnomic-philosophical realm. — Tom Shone, New York Times, "David Thomsonâs âWarner Bros,â a History of the Studio and the Family," 31 Aug. 2017 The Return by quoting one of its more gnomic and portentous lines of dialogue, but in the works of David Lynch, wordsâand numbers, so many numbers!âare a halting, imperfect medium of communication. — Laura Miller, Slate Magazine, "In Twin Peaksâ Finale, Dreams Have a Cost," 5 Sep. 2017 Mark Frost, who tethered the art-house directorâs gnomic vision to the narrative imperatives of network television in the 1990s, has a much lighter touch on the reins this time around. — Laura Miller, Slate Magazine, "The Twin Peaks reboot is not the fusion of arthouse and mainstream sensibilities that viewers might expect. Itâs pure David Lynchâand itâs glorious.," 22 May 2017 Ibrahimovicâs carefully crafted public image could be read as a homage to Cantona, with his upturned collar and gnomic statements, packaged for the Instagram generation. — Rory Smith, New York Times, "With Success in England, Zlatan Ibrahimovic Strikes a Blow Against Snobbery," 27 Feb. 2017 What Franz Kafka is to Prague, local son Italo Calvino has become to Torino, so this travelerâs bar is lavishly upholstered with the gnomic witticisms of this Oulipo literateur: viscounts mathematically carved in half, dropouts who live up in trees. — Wired Staff, WIRED, "Dispatches From the Hyperlocal Future," 27 June 2007These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gnomic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for gnomic
gnomic
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of gnomic
formal
: said or written using few words that are difficult to understand
See the full definition for gnomic in the English Language Learners Dictionary