adage

noun

ad·​age ˈa-dij How to pronounce adage (audio)
Synonyms of adagenext
: a saying often in metaphorical form that typically embodies a common observation
She reminded him of the adage: "A penny saved is a penny earned."

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of adage in a Sentence

that old adage, “the early bird gets the worm”
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
No matter how careful your calculations, your turkey will inevitably compete with a roomful of side dishes, too many too-tasty appetizers, and some adage about saving room for dessert. —Alma Avalle, Bon Appétit, 28 Oct. 2024 The lyrics echo the adage that the divorce happens long before the divorce. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024 The adage of an empire on which the sun never sets still applies to the French Republic, with small possessions across the planet. —Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 9 Oct. 2024 The adage is true: Put on your own oxygen mask first. —Alexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 26 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for adage 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French, borrowed from Latin adagiō, adagium, from ad- ad- + ag-, base of aiō, āiō "(I) say" (going back to *ag-i̯ō, going back to an Indo-European verb stem *h2eǵ-i̯e- "say") + -ium, deverbal noun suffix; akin to Greek ê "(s/he) spoke," án-ōga "(I) command," Armenian asem "(I) say," Tocharian B āks- "announce, proclaim"

Note: The Latin form is possibly adāgiō; the lack of vowel reduction in the second syllable is otherwise unexplained. Michiel de Vaan, Etymological Dictionary of Latin (Brill, 2008), believes that the base is not aiō, but rather adigō, "I drive/thrust/plunge into, force, impel." Semantically, this is not compelling, and does not in any case solve the problem of the second syllable. On the other hand, the lack of attestation for aiō with any prefixes aside from this noun is striking.

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of adage was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near adage

adag

adage

ad agency

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Cite this Entry

“Adage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adage. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

adage

noun
ad·​age ˈad-ij How to pronounce adage (audio)
: an old familiar saying : proverb

More from Merriam-Webster on adage

Nglish: Translation of adage for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about adage

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