Proverbially

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that is associated with well-known sayings or adages
2. Used to describe something in the way it is commonly referred to in established sayings
3. Expressing a concept by referencing the style of widely recognized traditional phrases

Etymology: "Proverbially" is a plain formation: the adjective "proverbial" with the adverb ending "-ly" added to it. The adjective itself comes from "proverb," which traces back through Latin "proverbium" to a combination of "pro" (before, forth) and "verbum" (word), so a proverb is literally something set forth in words. The adverb ending has a long pedigree of its own, descending from an Old English suffix "-līce," which was built on a root meaning "body" or "form" and gradually came to mark "in the manner of." Used this way, the word means "in the manner of a proverb" or "as the saying goes," so something described as proverbially difficult is difficult in the way proverbs are famous for being difficult. The word is almost always placed before an adjective or participle, as in "proverbially honest" or "proverbially slow."

Synonyms: typically, commonly