adage

noun

ad·​age ˈa-dij 

: 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 of adage

• proverb
• saying
• word
• maxim

Examples of adage in a Sentence

that old adage, “the early bird gets the worm”

Recent Examples on the Web

But entertainment journalist Kristen Lopez disagrees with that adage. — Suzanne Van Atten, AJC.com, 19 July 2026

For a Cubs team that has dealt with all sorts of injuries to pitchers, Hoyer is maintaining his adage that a team can’t have too many arms. — Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026

The adage grew that if Crerand played well, United played well. — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 13 July 2026

The adage highlights the unpredictability of situations and emphasizes the importance of being prepared for the unexpected. — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026

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

Kids Definition

adage

noun

ad·​age ˈad-ij 

: an old familiar saying : proverb