An axiom is a set of stipulations; a set of statements that are held as self-evident. Axioms form the statements or propositions on which theorems are built. The word axiom comes from the Greek word meaning ‘that which is thought worthy or fit’ or ‘that which commends itself as evident.’ The statement that a line is the shortest distance between two points is an example of an axiom within Euclidean geometry. In mathematics, an axiomatic system is any set of axioms from which some or all axioms can be used in conjunction to logically derive theorems. A mathematical theory consists of an axiomatic system and all its derived theorems.