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

• aphorism
• apothegm
• byword
• epigram
• maxim
• proverb
• saw
• saying
• sententia
• word

Examples of adage in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The old adage that looked to Memorial Day — basically the two-month mark — as a perfect time to assess the roster, get rid of what’s not working and promote top prospects now seems antiquated. —Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025

An adage that's been around as long as the combustion engine, really. —New Atlas, 26 Apr. 2025

If Rice has inspired you to begin a running journey, remember the old adage: Slow and steady wins the race. —David Oliver, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025

The adage of long-term money for long-term goals and short-term money for short-term goals holds true. —Sarah Keohane Williamson, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

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