stately
Americanadjective
-
majestic; imposing in magnificence, elegance, etc..
a stately home.
adverb
adjective
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stately
First recorded in 1350–1400, stately is from the Middle English word statly. See state, -ly
Explanation
To be stately is to appear noble and impressive, almost in a larger than life kind of way. You may encounter a stately gentleman or a stately statue. If you do, take a little bow. There are a few meanings of stately, but they both refer to people and things that have an impressive bearing. The first meaning has to do with nobility and class. A ceremony honoring a prince is stately, and the music and dress surrounding such events are stately. Stately things convey sophistication and regality. Also, stately can mean statuesque. Someone with great posture and an impressive physique is stately, almost as if they were made by a sculptor.
Vocabulary lists containing stately
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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:
The redbrick exterior is complemented by a stately entrance framed by columns, while the interior boasts walnut flooring and expansive living areas.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
Then there’s the majestic white oak tree that stood as a stately landmark on our property just weeks ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Classic rock and jam bands like the Eagles and Dead & Co. largely use Sphere’s A/V capabilities as a psychedelic background to stately tunes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
Autumn leaves bring pops of colour to its stately buildings, which are set against the backdrop of the rolling hills of upstate New York.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
The camels, six of them, first paraded in stately fashion around the ring, led by keepers.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
Tharp’s “In the Room” was sheer exuberance, Nearly four decades later, Tharp hardly seems to have slowed down her dance, but ”Aquas” does have a statelier sheen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2025
Frenzied Afro-Cuban dancing mixes with statelier Mexican danzón; one set piece is illuminated by a flashing neon sign, and another puts Mercedes and her sister in a museum, surrounded by pre-Columbian artifacts.
From New York Times ● Oct. 22, 2019
The statelier English verse occupies its space comfortably.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 30, 2012
He put them on the runway at the Jeu de Paume — a contemporary art museum and one of this city’s statelier locations for a fashion show.
From Washington Post
Miss O'Hara advanced towards Cashel, and Frobisher retired; her mien and carriage were, however, statelier and more imposing, with less of cordiality than before.
From Roland Cashel Volume I (of II) by Charles James Lever
It supplanted some of the city’s stateliest mansions with corporate palaces in blue glass and bronze.
From New York Times ● Apr. 22, 2020
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, called the result “the stateliest measure ever moulded by the lips of man.”
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 8, 2018
Indian Village is an historic development just to the west of the neighborhood, and it includes some of the largest, stateliest residences in the city.
From BusinessWeek ● Sep. 2, 2014
“The monument is appalling—in bad taste and in a very strategic position,” on Mexico City's stateliest avenue, near statues of Gandhi and Winston Churchill.
From Slate ● Jan. 30, 2013
Mr. Sargent refers to this tree as one of the stateliest and most beautiful inhabitants of the North American forests, and one of the most striking features of the California landscape.
From The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits by Mary Elizabeth Parsons
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