proverbial
adjective
pro·ver·bi·al
prə-ˈvər-bē-əl 
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
2
: that has become a proverb or byword : commonly spoken of
the proverbial smoking gun
Examples of proverbial in a Sentence
Insanity roamed through her large midwestern tribe, cloistered in proverbial dark closets in gabled houses in areas of the country where no one else lived for miles and miles …
—
Lynne Tillman, Motion Sickness, 1991
I keep running across people who speak fondly about what they imagine to be the comforts of autocracy, who long for the assurances of the proverbial man on the white horse likely to do something hard and puritanical about the moral relativism that has made a mess of the cities, the schools, and prime-time television.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, November 1990
Lynne Tillman, Motion Sickness, 1991
I keep running across people who speak fondly about what they imagine to be the comforts of autocracy, who long for the assurances of the proverbial man on the white horse likely to do something hard and puritanical about the moral relativism that has made a mess of the cities, the schools, and prime-time television.
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, November 1990
Recent Examples on the Web
While commercial companies should drive the proverbial bus into the Solar System, NASA should get back to its roots in research and exploration, Limp said.
—Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
His proverbial open-door policy to all aspects of his career naturally also leaves him open to the interesting opportunities that come walking in.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 6 June 2025
Of course, Lawrence and Braff also are looking forward to getting the proverbial band back together.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 4 June 2025
Investors will be wise to keep a close eye on Congressional spending as this will be like the proverbial canary in the coal mine.
—Mike Patton, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for proverbial
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
His proverbial open-door policy to all aspects of his career naturally also leaves him open to the interesting opportunities that come walking in.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 6 June 2025
Of course, Lawrence and Braff also are looking forward to getting the proverbial band back together.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 4 June 2025
Investors will be wise to keep a close eye on Congressional spending as this will be like the proverbial canary in the coal mine.
—Mike Patton, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for proverbial
Cite this Entry
“Proverbial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proverbial. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
proverbial
adjective
pro·ver·bi·al
prə-ˈvər-bē-əl
1
: of, relating to, or resembling a proverb
proverbial wisdom
2
: commonly spoken of
the proverbial beginner's luck
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share