Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

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.


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)

"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

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.

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

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

She was a child of privilege, the daughter of Carter Burden, a Vanderbilt descendant and media executive, and Amanda Burden, the daughter of Babe Paley and an influential urban planner.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 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

“I think the industry is underrating and underinvesting given the scale,” Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman told me the other day during our appearance at a Paley Center for Media event in Menlo Park, Calif.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 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