Sade

American

[sahd, sad, sad] / sɑd, sæd, sad /

noun

Donatien Alphonse François Comte de Marquis de Sade, 1740–1814, French soldier and novelist, notorious for his paraphilia.

Sade British

/ sɑːd /

noun

Comte Donatien Alphonse François de (dɔnasjɛ̃ alfɔ̃s frɑ̃swa də), known as the Marquis de Sade. 1740–1814, French soldier and writer, whose exposition of sexual perversion gave rise to the term sadism

"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.

There's strong British representation on this year's list - Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order and Sade are all up for induction at the second or third attempts.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

Sade reveals the utopia she and her girlfriend, along with other fellow inmates, have been imagining, a collective portrait of a peaceful haven for “free formerly incarcerated Black girls.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2025

What do you hope audiences experience during these three days with Mina and Sade?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2025

That’s why Sade is so clear about what her dreams are.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2025

Tío Pepe said the Marquis de Sade put on his powdered wig and morning jacket while he was locked up.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023