Synonym Chooser

How is the word sane distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of sane are judicious, prudent, sage, sapient, sensible, and wise. While all these words mean "having or showing sound judgment," sane stresses mental soundness, rationality, and levelheadedness.

remained sane even in times of crises

When might judicious be a better fit than sane?

In some situations, the words judicious and sane are roughly equivalent. However, judicious stresses a capacity for reaching wise decisions or just conclusions.

judicious parents using kindness and discipline in equal measure

When is prudent a more appropriate choice than sane?

While the synonyms prudent and sane are close in meaning, prudent suggests the exercise of restraint guided by sound practical wisdom and discretion.

a prudent decision to wait out the storm

In what contexts can sage take the place of sane?

While in some cases nearly identical to sane, sage suggests wide experience, great learning, and wisdom.

the sage advice of my father

When is it sensible to use sapient instead of sane?

Although the words sapient and sane have much in common, sapient suggests great sagacity and discernment.

the sapient musings of an old philosopher

When could sensible be used to replace sane?

The meanings of sensible and sane largely overlap; however, sensible applies to action guided and restrained by good sense and rationality.

a sensible woman who was not fooled by flattery

Where would wise be a reasonable alternative to sane?

The synonyms wise and sane are sometimes interchangeable, but wise suggests great understanding of people and of situations and unusual discernment and judgment in dealing with them.

wise beyond his tender years

Examples of sane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Washington is producing excellent Bordeaux varietals and this wine is a fine example of that—and at a much saner price than most. Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 Driving the news: After three weeks of testimony, 12 jurors are deciding if Alissa — who declined to testify — was sane, intended to kill and understood his actions were wrong at the time of the shooting. Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 20 Sep. 2024 Herold noted that the two state psychologists appointed by the court who found that Alissa was sane at the time of the attack had some reservations about their finding since Alissa did not share more information with them, even though that may helped his case. Colleen Slevin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2024 Your brain on parenthood If the literature of understanding kids is robust (and often eye-rolling), the literature of just trying to exist and stay sane as a parent feels kind of nonexistent. Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sane 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near sane

Cite this Entry

“Sane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sane. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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