sedate

comparative more sedate · comparative sedater · superlative most sedate · superlative sedatest

1. Of a person or animal, or their behaviour: calm and composed (often in a dignified manner), and avoiding or unaffected by activity or excitement.

   Virgil vvas of a quiet, ſedate Temper; Homer vvas violent, impetuous, and full of Fire.

   1700, [John] Dryden, “Preface”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

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   [I]f they vvill raſhly huddle up all together, and not admitting the leaſt check of a ſedate judgement, publiſh onely the impetuous dictates of their indiſcreet and too precipitant fancie, either yielding nothing, or ſuffering a licentious practice of all things; vve muſt put them in mind of that State Maxime, vvhich is too often made good by the ruine of a Church, […] Dangerous is that ſeverity, impious that bounty, vvhere to a Chriſtian militant either all things are granted, or nothing permitted in the doubtfull and diſtracted condition of a Church.

   1642, Ri[chard] Watson, A Sermon Touching Schisme, Lately Preached at St. Maries in Cambridge, [Cambridge, Cambridgeshire]: […] Roger Daniel, printer to the Universitie of Cambridge […]; [a]nd are to be sold by William Graves, […], →OCLC, page 27

   But vvhen […] vvilfulneſs [in a child] evidently ſhevvs it ſelf, and makes Blovvs neceſſary, I think the Chaſtiſement ſhould be a little more Sedate and a little more Severe, […]

   1693, [John Locke], “§162”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC, page 100

   But the Matter vvas yet infinitely vvorſe (I record it vvith Tears) vvhen he proceeded to the Embroidery: For, being Clumſy by Nature, and of Temper, Impatient; vvithal, beholding Millions of Stitches, that required the niceſt Hand, and ſedateſt Conſtitution, to extricate; in a great Rage, he tore off the vvhole Piece, Cloth and all, […]

   1704, [Jonathan Swift], “Section VI”, in A Tale of a Tub. […], London: […] John Nutt, […], →OCLC, page 131

   But vvho like thee can boaſt a Soul sedate, / So firmly Proof to all the Shocks of Fate?

   1715, Homer, “Book 3”, in Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 5, lines 87-88

   The animadverſions of critics are commonly ſuch as may eaſily provoke the ſedateſt vvriter to ſome quickneſs of reſentment and aſperity of reply.

   1751 December 3 (Gregorian calendar), Samuel Johnson, “No. 176. Friday, November 23. 1751.”, in The Rambler, volume VII, Edinburgh: […] Sands, Murray, and Cochran; sold by W. Gordon, C. Wright, J. Yair, […], published 1752, →OCLC, page 128

   Synonyms: collected, cool, placid, staid, unruffled, calm, steady, collected · Antonyms: unsedate

2. broadlyOf an object, particularly a building: not overly ornate or showy; not having a strong colour or design.

   Facing the Parliament Buildings across James’ Bay arose a sedate stone and cement Post Office.

   1942, Emily Carr, “Grown Up”, in The Book of Small, Toronto, Ont.: Oxford University Press, →OCLC; republished as The Book of Small (eBook; 0400201.txt), [Australia]: Project Gutenberg Australia, February 2004

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   Sometimes she passed down avenues of sedate mansions, soberly numbered 'one,' 'two,' 'three,' and so on right up to two or three hundred, each the copy of the other, with two pillars and six steps and a pair of curtains neatly drawn […] until her mind was dizzied with the monotony.

   1928, Virginia Woolf, chapter 6, in Orlando: A Biography, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Company, →OCLC, page 275

   The shiny carriages of Yankee officers' wives and newly rich Carpetbaggers splashed mud on the dilapidated buggies of the townspeople, and gaudy new homes of wealthy strangers crowded in among the sedate dwellings of older citizens.

   1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, chapter XXXVII, in Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, published June 1944, →OCLC, part IV, page 657

   The great hotel, with its look of sedate luxury, brooded massively there with people teeming about it.

   1985, Doris Lessing, The Good Terrorist, London: Jonathan Cape […], →ISBN, page 352

   Synonyms: unobtrusive · Antonyms: obtrusive

3. broadlyOf writing: not emotional; calm, composed.
4. broadlyobsoleteOf one's mind, thoughts, etc.: calm, sober.First known use mid 17th c.

   [W]e ſhall leave them to their ovvn ſedate and compoſed Reflections.

   1702–1704, Edward [Hyde, 1st] Earl of Clarendon, “The Preface”, in The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed at the [Sheldonian] Theater, page iv

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   [A] Scepticiſm, that's the only vvay to Science. But yet this is ſo difficult in the impartial and exact performance, that it may be vvell reckon'd among the bare Poſsibilities, vvhich never commence into a Futurity: It requiring ſuch a free, ſedate, and intent minde, as it may be no vvhere found but among the Platonical Idea's.

   1661, Joseph Glanvill, “A Third Reason of Our Ignorance and Error, viz. the Impostures and Deceits of Our Senses. […]”, in The Vanity of Dogmatizing: Or Confidence in Opinions. […], London: […] E. C[otes] for Henry Eversden […], →OCLC, page 74

5. broadlyobsoleteOf an object: not moving; at rest, quiet, still; also, moving smoothly and steadily.

   [T]he river vvhich before vvas ſtraight, ſhe [Nitocris] made crooked vvith great vvindings, that it might be more ſedate and leſs apt to overflovv.

   a. 1728 (date written), Isaac Newton, “Of the Two Contemporary Empires of the Babylonians and Medes”, in The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson […], and J[ohn] Osborn and T[homas] Longman […], published 1728, →OCLC, pages 304–305

present singular third person sedates · participle present sedating · participle past sedated · past sedated

1. transitivemedicineTo give (a person) a sedative to calm them or put them to sleep; to tranquilize.

   Though he may have been sedated, he knew I was there, knew who I was, knew I was talking to him.

   1986–1989 (date written), J[ohn] M[axwell] Coetzee, “Part II”, in Age of Iron, London: Martin Secker & Warburg, published September 1990, →OCLC, page 73

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   I need something to sedate me / But I can't afford the high / Give me something to help me escape

   2012 January 25, “Smells Like a Freakshow”, in Black Waltz, performed by Avatar, Göteborg, Sweden: Gain Music Entertainment, →OCLC

2. obsoletetransitiveTo make (someone or something) calm or tranquil; to assuage, to calm, to soothe.First known use mid 17th c.

   Did matter contend with matter, what confusion would it produce? whilst the mind and soul of man sedate the hostility, and bring it to due obedience, as being a power abstracted, a distinct and immaterial principle.

   a. 1707 (date written), John Evelyn, “Whether there be a Deity and Supreme Being? That there is, […]”, in The History of Religion. A Rational Account of the True Religion. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1850, →OCLC, section III, part I (By the Soul of Man), page 53

   Synonyms: tranquilize