sane
adjective
free from mental derangement; having a sound, healthy mind.
sane
1 American
[seyn]
/ seɪn /
adjective
-
saner,
comparative
-
sanest
superlative
-
free from mental derangement; having a sound, healthy mind.
a sane person.
-
having or showing reason, sound judgment, or good sense.
sane advice.
- Synonyms:
- judicious, sensible, reasonable
-
sound; healthy.
SANE
2
American
[seyn]
/ seɪn /
noun
sane
British
/ seɪn /
adjective
-
sound in mind; free from mental disturbance
-
having or showing reason, good judgment, or sound sense
-
obsolete healthy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of sane1
First recorded in 1620–30, sane is from the Latin word sānus healthy
Origin of SANE2
Official shortening of its byname Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy
Explanation
A sane person doesn't have any screws loose — in other words, they're free of mental illness and in a reasonable state of mind. You probably know that the word insane means crazy. Well, the opposite of insane is sane — or not crazy. A sane person is of sound mind and is mentally healthy. Sane people have good judgment, are reasonable, and can tell the difference between what's real and imagined. Whenever someone commits a crime or does something totally outlandish, people usually wonder if they're sane or not.
Vocabulary lists containing sane
Tears of a Tiger
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
P.S. Be Eleven
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 1: Vocabulary from Readings 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
In a sane world he would provide answers that could facilitate greater understanding of his actions and motivations, and how he believes those actions will benefit the American people.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
A public interest firm willing to carry the case without charge, because no sane person spends airplane money in legal fees to recover an airplane.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
Our garbage, he’s convinced, “speaks to us,” and in its honesty he finds the relief that keeps him sane in the bosom of squalor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Learning to prioritize the tasks has kept him more sane during his second season in one of the most high-profile coaching jobs in sports, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2026
Although if they were sane, they were scared.
From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer
“We wanted to highlight the very important and incredible work of a SANE, especially in the department setting,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
Windsor was also an ambassador of the mental health charity SANE, which will receive all profits from the evening.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2024
Shelley, a nurse in rural Eagle County, Colorado, went to her car and called a telehealth company to arrange an appointment with a sexual assault nurse examiner, or SANE.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 8, 2023
The specialty includes sexual assault nurse examiners, known by the acronym SANE.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 30, 2015
We, the undersigned, Jurors in the case of Mrs. Elizabeth P. W. Packard, alleged to be insane, having heard the evidence in the case, are satisfied that said Elizabeth P. W. Packard is SANE.
From Marital Power Exemplified in Mrs. Packard's Trial, and Self-Defence from the Charge of Insanity by Elizabeth Parsons Ware Packard
In happier days—in a saner timeline—I could have played a round here.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2026
It’s a concept borrowed from restaurant service — those end-of-night tasks that set you up for a smoother, saner start the next day — and it immediately appealed to me.
From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2026
Is there a chance that saner heads will prevail?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 30, 2025
Indira, with the saner follow-up: “Dorothy, don’t get in the fight.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 9, 2024
Maybe old Mary and her herbs weren’t such a bad idea after all—if I could be sure of catching her in one of her saner moments.
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
“The sanest way forward — you have to learn how to split yourself up into other selves, like an earthworm,” her mentor advised her years earlier, when she was about to graduate.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 14, 2022
Wakefield What happens when the sanest person working in a psych ward starts to lose his grip?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2021
And they remind us that sometimes the sanest means of processing sorrow and fear is to find ways to joke about them.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2021
“Having a therapist has taught me to be less cruel to myself. It’s not like therapy has made me the world’s sanest person; it’s just made me slightly less insane.”
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 14, 2021
He tottered across the roof tiles, spraying his fig trees like it was the safest, sanest procedure in the world.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
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.
