adage

noun ad·age \ ˈa-dij \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

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."

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Examples of adage in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of adage from the Web

Longtime wine-industry adage: Americans talk dry and drink sweet.

— ray isle, Time, "How Wine Can Teach a Lesson About History and Emotion," 10 Apr. 2018
At least, indie fashion brand Girlfriend Collective is getting on board with the adage in their latest line of T-shirts.

— avery matera, Teen Vogue, "Girlfriend Collective Releases New T-shirt Made From Cotton Waste," 5 Apr. 2018
Which is not to say that there is no evidence that the old adage could have (some) merit.

— rachel sugar, Bon Appetit, "Should You Really Starve a Fever And Feed a Cold?," 7 Mar. 2018
Instead, the solution is a familiar adage: everything in moderation.

— jean twenge, Philly.com, "We aren't as happy as we used to be. Here's what could help," 22 Jan. 2018
Though Johnson's personal achievements and work ethic are nothing to snub, the conversation leads you to wonder whether the mayor agrees with the adage that everyone deserves a second chance.

— maya dukmasova, Chicago Reader, "Rahm’s Chicago Stories podcast takes you inside the mind of the mayor," 14 Mar. 2018
The White Pants Dance Consider the old adage about not wearing white pants after Labor Day officially dead.

— emily farra, Vogue, "The Biggest Street Style Trends of Fall 2018," 13 Mar. 2018
While the old adage -- all politics is local -- is generally true, in my view, President Trump has nationalized the 2018 midterms.

— chris cillizza, CNN, "Yes, the Pennsylvania election is about Donald Trump," 13 Mar. 2018
Ayton headlines an exceptional group of freshman big men with modern skill sets who are relishing the chance to debunk the adage that great guard play is the key to winning titles.

— jeremy woo, SI.com, "Valuable and Versatile, Arizona’s Deandre Ayton Leads College Basketball's New Breed of Big Men," 7 Mar. 2018

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

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.

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First Known Use: 1530

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