a profoundly wise person; a person famed for wisdom.
someone venerated for the possession of wisdom, judgment, and experience.
any plant or shrub belonging to the genus Salvia, of the mint family.
an herb, Salvia officinalis, whose grayish-green leaves are used medicinally and in cooking.
the leaves of the medicinal and culinary herb Salvia officinalis.
profoundly wise or prudent
obsolete solemn
a perennial Mediterranean plant, Salvia officinalis, having grey-green leaves and purple, blue, or white flowers: family Lamiaceae (labiates)
the leaves of this plant, used in cooking for flavouring
short for sagebrush
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin sapius (unattested), from Latin sap(ere) “to taste, have taste, smell, smell of; to have sense, discern, know, be wise” + -idus; see origin at sapient, -id 4
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English sa ( u ) ge, from Middle French sau ( l ) ge, from Latin salvia, derivative of salvus safe (so named from its supposed healing powers)
Use the word sage for someone or something wise and judicious. Thanks to the sage advice of your friend, you didn't write your teacher an angry e-mail! Although you might think of a wizard when you hear the word sage, really it means a wise man. Today you see it used to refer to someone who has insight in a particular field. If someone is a policy sage, he knows just what advice to give politicians to make them understand the issue and respond successfully to it. In a totally unrelated use, there is also a plant called sage that is useful in home remedies and cooking.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It’s a really hard economy to wreck right now, and I think people understand that,” said Rob Williams, chief investment strategist at Sage Advisory.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
“We are now progressing with momentum, supported by advancing technical programs, strong metallurgical results, and engagement with our offtake partners,” said Critical Metals Chairman Tony Sage in a statement.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
Second-placed Lens currently trail leaders PSG by one point - and Lens head coach Pierre Sage said after Sunday's 5-1 win over Angers that his side did not agree with a postponement.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
Lupines, fiddlenecks and bush sunflowers, among other native wildflower species, are just starting to take off in the Puente Hills, particularly in Turnbull Canyon, Powder Canyon and on the Purple Sage Loop.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026
We’re back in the Administration Building, where Diane and Sage pull out another clipboard for us to sign up for a lecture.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
