sage

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: one (such as a profound philosopher) distinguished for wisdom
2
: a mature or venerable person of sound judgment

sage

2 of 3

adjective

sager; sagest
1
: proceeding from or characterized by wisdom, prudence, and good judgment
sage advice
2
a
: wise through reflection and experience
b
archaic : grave, solemn
sageness noun

sage

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
a
: a European perennial mint (Salvia officinalis) with grayish-green aromatic leaves used especially in flavoring meats
broadly : salvia
b
: the fresh or dried leaves of sage
2
3
: a light grayish green

Illustration of sage

Illustration of sage
  • 3sage 1a
Choose the Right Synonym for sage

wise, sage, sapient, judicious, prudent, sensible, sane mean having or showing sound judgment.

wise suggests great understanding of people and of situations and unusual discernment and judgment in dealing with them.

wise beyond his tender years

sage suggests wide experience, great learning, and wisdom.

the sage advice of my father

sapient suggests great sagacity and discernment.

the sapient musings of an old philosopher

judicious stresses a capacity for reaching wise decisions or just conclusions.

judicious parents using kindness and discipline in equal measure

prudent suggests the exercise of restraint guided by sound practical wisdom and discretion.

a prudent decision to wait out the storm

sensible applies to action guided and restrained by good sense and rationality.

a sensible woman who was not fooled by flattery

sane stresses mental soundness, rationality, and levelheadedness.

remained sane even in times of crises

Examples of sage in a Sentence

Adjective a sage suggestion that anyone should think long and hard before deciding to marry
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
And the palate is all about complexity: the malt and cooked cereal notes soon morph into toasted sage and the vegetal profile of sencha tea. Karla Alindahao, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 The two became a nightclub act of sorts, peppering sage investment advice with one-liners that kept the crowd of thousands enraptured. Tom Petruno, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023 The scenery perfectly complemented the elevated meal of slow-roasted free-range turkey, heirloom apple and sage stuffing, sweet potato puree, garlic lemon green beans, roasted Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and pomegranate, and a spiced cranberry orange compote served with turkey and giblet gravy. Brande Victorian, Essence, 27 Nov. 2023 Simmer gravy: Reduce heat to medium; stir in sage and next 4 ingredients. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2023 The smoke was wafting from a bunch of sage leaves lit by Thomas Little, whose company, Urbangreen, has done landscaping and planting work at Mr. Derian’s stores for the last decade. Christopher Barnard, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2023 This weekend’s annual Thanksgiving event at Monarch will be the first without one of the original organizers, who died this year The scents filled the kitchen, sage mixing with thyme and tarragon. Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Nov. 2023 For this iconic dish, often cited as a staple in blogs about local food, rice is slowly simmered in a stock made with fish scraps and topped with fish filets cooked with butter and sage. Vittoria Traverso, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Nov. 2023 There are neutral hues available, including beige and apricot gray, along with more vibrant selections, like haze blue and sage green. Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *sapius, from Latin sapere to taste, have good taste, be wise; akin to Oscan sipus knowing, Old Saxon ansebbian to perceive

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French sage, salge, from Latin salvia, from salvus healthy; from its use as a medicinal herb — more at safe

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sage was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sage

Cite this Entry

“Sage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sage. Accessed 8 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

sage

1 of 3 adjective
sager; sagest
: wise entry 2 sense 1, prudent
sage advice
sagely adverb
sageness noun

sage

2 of 3 noun
: a very wise person

sage

3 of 3 noun
1
: a European mint with fragrant leaves that is used especially to flavor meat
2
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English sage "wise," from early French sage (same meaning), derived from Latin sapere "to be wise, taste, have good taste" — related to insipid, savant

Noun

Middle English sage "sage plant," from early French sage, salge (same meaning), from Latin salvia "sage plant used for health," from salvus "safe, healthy" — related to safe, save

Medical Definition

sage

noun
: a perennial mint of the genus Salvia (S. officinalis) having grayish green pungent and aromatic leaves that are much used in flavoring foods and as a mild tonic and astringent
broadly : any plant of the genus Salvia

Biographical Definition

Sage

biographical name

Russell 1816–1906 American financier

More from Merriam-Webster on sage

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