sagely

adverb

sage·​ly ˈsāj-lē How to pronounce sagely (audio)
: in a sage or wise manner
The soldiers nodded sagely to each other. Cluny was right. There was no fondness in the ranks for the dead, power-hungry bully.Brian Jacques
Spike the bulldog and Droopy have a Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner thing going on as Spike cheats, schemes, and sabotages in his futile efforts to defeat Droopy, but as Droopy sagely observes, "Cheaters never win."Donald Liebenson

Examples of sagely in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As Anderson sagely observed to a Madison Avenue audience, that was an acceptable quid pro quo in the days of passive TV viewing. IEEE Spectrum, 31 May 2011 As Rose sagely explains, the relationship between those past and present is more fraught north of the Arctic Circle, where the living have come to occupy the dark hours normally reserved for the dead. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2024 If a historically unique destructive force inhabits the Oval Office, the Constitution — which, as Justice Robert Jackson sagely observed, is not a suicide pact — allows immediate expulsion. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 30 Dec. 2023 Costello nodded along sagely to the music and exchanged bon mots with wife Krall; Fallon headbanged and sang along; Olsen took a smoke break. Joe Lynch, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2023 For the most part, the researchers found, emissions stem from rush hour vehicle congestion, which remote workers sagely sidestep. Byjane Thier, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2023 On the other side of a French fry platter, Ms. Liddy and Ms. Flowers nodded sagely. Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 14 May 2023 Roger, sagely, nodded assent. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 20 May 2022 Freddie was nodding slowly and sagely. Marc Myers, WSJ, 30 Sep. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from sage sage entry 2 + -ly -ly entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sagely was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near sagely

Cite this Entry

“Sagely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sagely. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on sagely

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!