stately

adjective state·ly \ ˈstāt-lē \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: stately in a Sentence

Definition of stately

statelier; stateliest

1 a : marked by lofty or imposing dignity

b : haughty, unapproachable

2 : impressive in size or proportions

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stateliness

noun

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stately

adverb

See stately defined for English-language learners

See stately defined for kids

Examples of stately in a Sentence

the governor watched with stately aloofness as his wife charmed the party guests
a stately dowager in an evening gown

Recent Examples of stately from the Web

The statue faces the main entrance on the south side of the stately building.

— kimberly fornek, chicagotribune.com, "Hinsdale American Legion restoring statue with new medallion, nearly 90 years after original was stolen," 10 July 2018
State street, the main thoroughfare, is a ghastly avenue of ruins, parts of its most stately buildings being tumbled down, and cornices, walls and fronts of practically all principal structures shattered down.

— sandiegouniontribune.com, "June 30, 1925: Quake rocks Santa Barbara," 30 June 2018
From the outside, Buckingham Palace seems like the dreamiest of dream homes: a grand, stately mansion filled with priceless art and the finest of luxuries.

— elise taylor, Vogue, "Inside Queen Elizabeth’s Plan to Save Buckingham Palace," 28 June 2018
Hopkins and his partner, Bob Whisnant, headed to a stately brick house near the entrance to Janssen Place, a Central Hyde Park neighborhood dotted with historic mansions.

— judy l. thomas, kansascity, "He found a baby 36 years ago on a cold, snowy KC porch. Now he wants to find her again | The Kansas City Star," 25 May 2018
Robert Swan Mueller III, the first of five children and the only son, grew up in a stately stone house in a wealthy Philadelphia suburb.

— garrett m. graff, WIRED, "The Untold Story of Robert Mueller's Time in Combat," 15 May 2018
The compound features a stately main house as well as numerous other accommodations for guests.

— mackenzie schmidt, PEOPLE.com, "Prince's Private Island Estate Will Be Sold At Auction: See Inside," 7 May 2018
The compound features a stately main house as well as numerous other accommodations for guests.

— mackenzie schmidt, ajc, "See Prince's private island estate, which will be sold at auction," 7 May 2018
This stately mansion is the work of the ace set designer Christine Jones and has been shrouded in beckoning, velvety and inventively concealing shadows by Neil Austin’s lighting.

— ben brantley, New York Times, "Review: ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ Raises the Bar for Broadway Magic," 22 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stately.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of stately

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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stately Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of stately

grand, magnificent, imposing, stately, majestic, grandiose mean large and impressive. grand adds to greatness of size the implications of handsomeness and dignity.