Paley

American  

[pey-lee] / ˈpeɪ li /

noun

1. Grace, 1922–2007, U.S. short-story writer and poet.

2. William, 1743–1805, English theologian, philosopher, and clergyman.

3. William S., 1901–1991, U.S. broadcasting executive.

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Paley British  

/ ˈpeɪlɪ /

noun

1. William. 1743–1805, English theologian and utilitarian philosopher. His chief works are The Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy (1785), Horae Paulinae (1790), A View of the Evidences of Christianity (1794), and Natural Theology (1802)

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Example Sentences

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Paley

Paternally, she descends from the Vanderbilts, and on her mother’s side, she’s the granddaughter of America’s highest society queen, Babe Paley.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

PaleyFest, organized by the Paley Center for Media, celebrates the best of American television.

From Barron's ● Apr. 7, 2026

Self other differences in a commonly held food norm', by Dr. Anna Paley, Professor Irene Scopelliti and Professor Janina Steinmetz, is published in Appetite.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 12, 2026

Paley had the foresight to grant Norman Lear the creative freedom to critique America’s race and class divisions through his comedies, beginning with “All in the Family.”

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2025

Reading Malthus and thinking about the natural world, Charles realized that nature was not happy and peaceful, as Paley had described in his natural theology books.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman