sane

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /seɪn/ UK /seɪn/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like chain /tʃ/ vs /s/ Sounds like seine /ɛ/ vs /eɪ/

Meanings

1

adj
of sound mind; sensible and rational

No sane person would attempt the climb in this storm.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · of sound mind; sensible and... rational lucid sensible sound balanced reasonablelevel-headed

Opposites

insane mad irrational crazy unhinged

Word family

Forms sanely

Derived forms sanelysanenesssanity

Related forms sanity sanitarysanitarium

Simplified etymology

Sane, first recorded in the early 17th century, belongs to the word family derived from Latin sanus, meaning “healthy.” The same root is found in sanity and in the 19th-century words sanitary, sanitation, and sanatorium.

Etymology

From Latin sanus ('healthy, sound, of sound mind'), of uncertain ultimate origin.

sanus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# sane

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /seɪn/
**IPA (UK):** /seɪn/

## Meanings
1. of sound mind; sensible and rational

## Examples
- No sane person would attempt the climb in this storm.

## Synonyms
- rational
- lucid
- sensible
- sound
- balanced
- reasonable
- level-headed

## Antonyms
- insane
- mad
- irrational
- crazy
- unhinged

## Derived Forms
- sanely
- saneness
- sanity

## Related Forms
- sanity
- sanitary
- sanitarium

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: sanus

## Etymology
From Latin sanus ('healthy, sound, of sound mind'), of uncertain ultimate origin.

## AI Etymology
Sane comes from Latin sanus ('healthy, sound, of sound mind'), of uncertain ultimate origin. The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As an adjective, it carries the sense "of sound mind; sensible and rational", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Latin sanus. Derivative forms include sanely, saneness, sanity; related words include sanity, sanitary, sanitarium.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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