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adage

American  
[ad-ij] / ˈæd ɪdʒ /

noun

  1. a traditional saying expressing a common experience or observation; proverb.

adage British  
/ ˈædɪdʒ /

noun

  1. a traditional saying that is accepted by many as true or partially true; proverb

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • adagial adjective

Etymology

Origin of adage

1540–50; < French < Latin adagium, equivalent to ad- ad- + ag- (stem of āio I say) + -ium -ium

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.

“Markets trade to inflict the maximum amount of pain” will always be my favorite Wall Street adage.

From The Wall Street Journal

And analysts said the previous "bad news is good news" adage, which has fuelled rate cut hopes in the past and propelled markets higher, might be a thing of the past.

From Barron's

The old adage is true: Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

From Salon

The adage that records are made to be broken definitely applies to the TV ratings for the Super Bowl.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s an adage that assets which lead the fastest rallies get hit the hardest when capital gets pulled.

From Barron's

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.