adage

noun

ad·age ˈa-dij

Synonyms 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."

Examples of adage in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Chefs are fond of saying that the culinary business is in their blood, but for Alex Kuk, the adage rings true. — Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 The old football adage about teams making their biggest improvements between their first and second games might not apply in the NFL preseason, when personnel are constantly being shuffled in and out of the action. — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Aug. 2026 The old adage among NFL scouts, coaches and smart scribes is that the preseason does not present the truth. — Armando Salguero, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026 Advertisement So, as now, many men followed the adage that when the going gets tough, the tough, well… toughen up. — Michael Kimmel, Time, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for adage

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of adage was in 1530

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Browse Nearby Words

adag

adage

ad agency

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Adage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adage. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

adage

noun

ad·age ˈad-ij

: an old familiar saying : proverb

adage

noun

Synonyms of adage

Examples of adage in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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