Crossword clue: a short, pithy, and instructive saying; a terse remark, conveying some important truth; a sententious precept or maxim.

The most common answer is apophthegm (10 letters).

2 answers found in Letterora's clue database (Wikidata facts, Open Trivia DB, WordNet and Webster definitions — all licensed sources).

Possible answers

apophthegm 10 letters web-def

a short pithy instructive saying

apothegm 8 letters web-def

a short pithy instructive saying