adage

[ ad-ij ]
/ ˈæd ɪdʒ /

noun

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

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of adage

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

OTHER WORDS FROM adage

a·da·gi·al [uh-dey-jee-uh l] /əˈdeɪ dʒi əl/, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH adage

adage aphorism apothegm axiom maxim proverb

Words nearby adage

ada deficiency, adabazar, adactylous, adactyly, adad, adage, adagio, adah, adak, adam, adam and eve
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to adages

aphorism, dictum, maxim, precept, motto, axiom, byword, saw, apothegm

Example sentences from the Web for adages

British Dictionary definitions for adages

adage
/ (ˈædɪdʒ) /

noun

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

Word Origin for adage

C16: via Old French from Latin adagium; related to āio I say
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