stately
- 01 C1 Advanced
adj.impressive and grand in size or appearance, like a large old house or a palace.
adj.majestic or imposing in appearance; often used to describe architecture or large-scale objects that command respect.
Simple“The family lived in a stately home that had been built hundreds of years ago.”
In context“The stately columns of the national library gave the building an air of permanence and intellectual authority.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
adj.moving in a slow, calm, and serious way that shows you are important.
adj.characterized by a deliberate, unhurried, and dignified pace or manner.
Simple“The queen walked at a stately pace through the crowd of guests.”
In context“The procession moved at a stately tempo, allowing the onlookers to appreciate the intricate details of the ceremonial costumes.”
SynonymsAntonymsrushedundignified - 03 C2 Proficiency
adv.to do something in a slow, grand, and serious manner.
adv.in a stately or dignified manner; functions as the adverbial form of the adjective.
Simple“The large ship sailed stately out of the harbour into the open sea.”
In context“The old vessel glided stately across the mirror-like surface of the lake, its reflection undisturbed by the gentle wake.”
UsageWhile 'stately' is primarily an adjective, it occasionally functions as an adverb in literary contexts; modern prose typically prefers 'in a stately manner'.
Synonymsdignifiedlymajestically
“Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters The prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, said Harald “struck a balance between being stately and being down-to-earth.”
“Summed up in a sentence Fleabag’s Sian Clifford plays delusional Lady Isabella Ravenhyde, who fancies herself “the aristocracy’s answer to the Kardashians” and invites a documentary-maker into her stately pile with comically calamitous results.”
From Middle English staately, staatly, stateli, statelie, stately, statelyche, statelye, statli, statly. Compare stour. By surface analysis, state + -ly (adjectival suffix).
From Middle English stately, statli, equivalent to state + -ly (adverbial suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.