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
"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
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!
An "August" Assortment: Words Worthy of Honor
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!
Bob Dylan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature
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:
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
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
It has a twangy guitar, stately woodwinds and a loping groove that makes you feel like you’re nudging a herd of cattle through a mountain pass on a cloudless day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Jenner-Fust said it is a reminder that some of the most valuable objects are not tucked away in stately homes but hiding in plain sight, waiting to be rediscovered.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
He almost completely occupies it; he’s large and barrel-shaped with a stately, pockmarked face, gray hair, big eyebrows, and a firm handshake.
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
Then the crowd was asked to move out of the way as new paths were cut, and the women’s wear appeared at a steadier, statelier pace.
From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2022
In a statelier time and series, Cyrus would have been played by Jeremy Irons, but here the honor goes to Jake Maskall, who does what he can.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2015
The pace of their music becomes statelier, the lyrics more universal, the production glossier.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 14, 2011
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
Olden is a statelier form of old, and is applied almost exclusively to time, not to places, buildings, persons, etc.
From English Synonyms and Antonyms With Notes on the Correct Use of Prepositions by James Champlin Fernald
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
Henry Mossop, one of the stateliest of stately actors, perishing, by slow degrees, of penury and grief,—which he bore in proud silence,—found a refuge, at last, in the barren gloom of Chelsea churchyard.
From Shakespeare's England by William Winter
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
