What does adage mean?
An adage is a short, traditional saying that expresses a widely accepted truth or piece of practical wisdom. Sayings such as "a stitch in time saves nine" or "haste makes waste" are classic adages: their origins are usually anonymous, and they endure because successive generations have found them useful and true. The word is somewhat more formal or literary than everyday terms like "saying," and it frequently appears in the fixed phrase "old adage," which emphasizes the saying's long pedigree. Writers and speakers invoke adages to give authority to advice, to sum up a situation economically, or to add a touch of familiar wisdom to an argument. Related terms include proverb, maxim, and aphorism, though an adage is distinguished chiefly by its traditional, collectively transmitted character rather than by any single author. For anyone writing persuasively or reflectively, adages offer a compact way to connect a point with shared cultural experience.
nounA traditional saying expressing a commonly held truth or piece of wisdom, often one that has been passed down over time.
- A traditional saying that expresses a general truth or practical wisdom, typically transmitted by word of mouth over generations.
"As the old adage goes, a stitch in time saves nine."
"The adage 'actions speak louder than words' proved true when the company quietly doubled its charitable donations."
"He dismissed the warning as mere folk wisdom, but the old adage about counting chickens before they hatched soon came back to haunt him."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple sayings, e.g. in collections of proverbs.
"The book gathers adages from cultures around the world."
Every 'old adage' you quote was once brand new — these sayings survive only because generations kept finding them true enough to repeat.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of adage
The word "adage" comes from the Latin "adagium," meaning proverb or saying, which itself derives from the phrase "ad agio" — literally "to excess" or "more than enough" — suggesting a remark carried beyond ordinary speech into accepted wisdom. It entered English via French in the mid-16th century. A notable cognate is the Italian musical term "adagio," from the same Latin root, originally conveying a sense of ease or leisureliness.
How adage is actually used
"Adage" carries a slightly formal or literary register compared with the everyday "saying," and it often appears with the modifier "old" or "familiar." It is frequently introduced with phrases like "as the adage goes" and is generally used approvingly or neutrally to lend weight to advice. The plural is "adages."
Easily confused with adage
An aphorism is an original, often literary concise statement of principle, whereas an adage is specifically a traditional saying of unknown or collective origin passed down through common use.