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

proverbially

prə-ˈvər-bē-ə-lē 

adverb

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Rack has become the proverbial tail that wags the dog, adding 23 stores this year with 16 more in the works for 2025. —Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024

This is also why the NBA gave Warner Bros. Discovery the proverbial boot after this season as a live game distributor. —Alex Sherman, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2024

Their father, an airline pilot, went out for the proverbial pack of cigarettes and never returned, as the saying goes. —EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024

Below, The Hollywood Reporter breaks down how all of the main characters rode off into their proverbial sunsets — at least, for now. —Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see proverb entry 1

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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

proverbially

-bē-ə-lē 

adverb