sane
adjective
free from mental derangement; having a sound, healthy mind.
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sane
1 American
[seyn]
/ seɪn /
adjective
saner,
sanest
-
free from mental derangement; having a sound, healthy mind.
a sane person.
-
having or showing reason, sound judgment, or good sense.
sane advice.
- Synonyms:
- judicious, sensible, reasonable
-
sound; healthy.
SANE
2
American
[seyn]
/ seɪn /
noun
sane
British
/ seɪn /
adjective
-
sound in mind; free from mental disturbance
-
having or showing reason, good judgment, or sound sense
-
obsolete healthy
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sane1
First recorded in 1620–30, sane is from the Latin word sānus healthy
Origin of SANE2
Official shortening of its byname Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy
Explanation
A sane person doesn't have any screws loose — in other words, they're free of mental illness and in a reasonable state of mind. You probably know that the word insane means crazy. Well, the opposite of insane is sane — or not crazy. A sane person is of sound mind and is mentally healthy. Sane people have good judgment, are reasonable, and can tell the difference between what's real and imagined. Whenever someone commits a crime or does something totally outlandish, people usually wonder if they're sane or not.
Vocabulary lists containing sane
Tears of a Tiger
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P.S. Be Eleven
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Unit 1: Vocabulary from Readings 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Maybe he doesn’t remember that I’ve asked him to stop,” she writes in “The Sane One.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
Sane wash his words we must, because no matter how unhinged or infantile, the world’s safety, fortunes and future are inextricably tied to America’s next move, and therefore to his next move.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
The Nigeria forward went down holding his arm following a challenge with Ibrahima Konate in the eighth minute, but he played on until he was replaced by Leroy Sane at half-time.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
There were things Adhikari added that Sane didn’t have, including access to the bank accounts she had set up for their kids, her disability insurance information and a health savings account from a prior employer.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 28, 2026
Sane marriage is an untheatrical thing; it is therefore not surprising that most modern dramatists have devoted themselves to insane marriage.
From George Bernard Shaw by Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith)
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.
