Definition of adage
: 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.”
People Are Reading
Examples of adage in a Sentence
that old adage, “the early bird gets the worm”
Recent Examples of adage from the Web
-
Only time will tell if the old adage all publicity is good publicity holds true for tourism.
-
For many, the gas price increase was, in the words of a Mexican adage, the drop that made the glass spill over.
-
The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared in March 2014, proves that adage again and again.
-
One of the most cynical adages in criminal justice holds that prisons are full of innocent people – according to the inmates, that is.
-
The old adage people used to say is specify a time or level, but never specify both.
-
That adage about real estate pricing takes on new meaning — and some bewildering logic — in the hands of college administrators.
-
Analysts in both countries strongly fear that Beijing will seek to make an example of at least one of them, following the venerable Chinese adage that one kills a chicken to scare the monkeys.
-
In the cooking world, there's an adage that anything can be improved by simply wrapping it in bacon.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adage'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of adage
Middle French, from Latin adagium, from ad- + -agium (akin to aio I say); akin to Greek ē he said
ADAGE Defined for English Language Learners
adage
playDefinition of adage for English Language Learners
-
: an old and well-known saying that expresses a general truth
ADAGE Defined for Kids
Learn More about adage
-
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for adage Spanish Central: Translation of adage Nglish: Translation of adage for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about adage
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up adage? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!