adage

American  

[ad-ij] / ˈæd ɪdʒ /

noun

1. a traditional saying expressing a common experience or observation; proverb.

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adage British  

/ ˈædɪdʒ /

noun

1. a traditional saying that is accepted by many as true or partially true; proverb

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Other Word Forms

• adagial adjective

Etymology

Origin of adage

1540–50; < French < Latin adagium, equivalent to ad- ad- + ag- (stem of āio I say) + -ium -ium

Explanation

An adage is a saying. Moms and dads love adages such as "early to bed, early to rise" and "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." The noun adage comes from the Latin root aio, meaning "I say." Like a proverb, an adage can be true or not so much. It's a folksy saying that's been passed around for so long that it doesn't even matter if it's true anymore. Adages can be wise and wisecracking, such as this quote from Alice Roosevelt Longworth: "I've always believed in the adage that the secret of eternal youth is arrested development." There's a Book of Proverbs in the Bible, but adages can show up anywhere, even cross-stitched on a pillow.

Example Sentences

There’s an adage among faster players that you don’t have to play well to play quickly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Penn Mutual Managing Director Scott Ellis says that policymakers remain “at the top of our watch list…the old adage that ‘markets stop panicking when policymakers start to’ still seems to resonate.”

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Eisenhower's adage on thinking ahead came in a speech in 1957.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

But there are definitely moments where it feels like an editor could have helped her avoid violating that old writing adage of “show, don’t tell.”

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2026

The old adage “Talk is cheap until you hire a lawyer” didn’t apply to Bobby since he had two high-profile lawyers working for him pro bono.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• aphorism
• axiom
• dictum
• maxim
• motto
• precept