sagely
Americanadverb
-
with a knowing or thoughtful expression; in a way that suggests careful reflection.
By way of response, my father only puffed on his pipe and nodded sagely.
-
in a wise or judicious way; insightfully.
As someone has sagely pointed out, today's idiot will be tomorrow's beacon of truth.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of sagely
Explanation
When you do something sagely, you do it in a way that conveys wisdom. Nodding sagely as your friend asks a question gives the impression that you're deeply knowledgeable and reliable. If your sister sagely explains the rules of a complicated game, it's clear from her manner and the tone of her voice that she knows what she's talking about. And sagely advising a younger student to sign up for French club instead of Young Business Leaders implies that you're speaking from a depth of experience. Sagely comes from sage, or "wise."
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.
Murakami gestures to the walls before him, nodding his head sagely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026
At one point, Mr. Loomis quotes his protagonist sagely predicting, “we’ll have a depression . . . and it will be the end of an era.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Labour has nodded sagely at the urgency of the issue.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2024
Aemond sagely offers, “This war will not be won by dragons alone, but dragons flying behind armies of men.”
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2024
They nodded sagely and there was another moment of silence.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
