Proverb

How to spell proverb

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce proverb

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does proverb mean?

1. nounA short, well-known traditional saying that expresses a general truth or piece of advice.

Proverb in a sentence

• The old proverb about saving for a rainy day guided her budgeting.

• He quoted a Chinese proverb during his speech to the staff.

Where does proverb come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin proverbium, which described a familiar saying or a common byword. It was built from the prefix pro-, meaning 'forth' or 'out in front', and verbum, meaning 'word', so the literal idea was a set of words 'put forward' for everyone to repeat. English borrowed it through Old French as proverbe during the 1300s, and it settled into its modern sense of a short, traditional saying that states a general truth. The same verbum root sits inside everyday relatives such as 'verb', 'verbal', and 'verbose', which is a useful reminder that the spelling keeps the plain 'verb' inside it rather than anything fancier. Knowing that pro- plus verb makes 'proverb' is the simplest way to fix the spelling in memory.

How the word is built

• pro- (forth, forward)
• verb (from Latin verbum: word)
• (noun)