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Synonyms

stately

American  
[steyt-lee] / ˈsteɪt li /

adjective

statelier, stateliest
  1. majestic; imposing in magnificence, elegance, etc..

    a stately home.

  2. dignified.


adverb

  1. in a stately manner.

stately British  
/ ˈsteɪtlɪ /

adjective

  1. characterized by a graceful, dignified, and imposing appearance or manner

"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

adverb

  1. in a stately manner

"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

Other Word Forms

  • stateliness noun

Etymology

Origin of stately

First recorded in 1350–1400, stately is from the Middle English word statly. See state, -ly

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.

From there she strikes out into the countryside in a suitably stately carriage.

From Barron's

By 8 a.m., more than a hundred people waited outside the stately South Carolina Supreme Court building to hear oral arguments on Murdaugh’s request for a new trial.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the 1930s, the white matriarchs of tiny Natchez, Miss. — one of the 19th century’s wealthiest American towns thanks to the slavery-driven cotton trade — opened their stately antebellum mansions to save themselves from economic ruin.

From Los Angeles Times

LONDON—On Monday, as fresh disclosures about ex-Prince Andrew’s dealings with Jeffrey Epstein dominated headlines in Britain, the former duke went for a ride on his horse outside his 30-room stately residence in Windsor.

From The Wall Street Journal

Most were gray-haired, faces lined with time and learning: they looked stately, implacable.

From Literature