noun
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a trite, dull, or obvious remark or statement; a commonplace
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staleness or insipidity of thought or language; triteness
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of platitude
First recorded in 1805–15; from French: literally, “flatness,” equivalent to plat “flat” ( cf. plate 1) + -itude -tude ( def. )
Explanation
If an executive gives a speech that begins, "This business is all about survival of the fittest. You need to burn the midnight oil and take one for the team," his employees might get sick of listening to these meaningless clichés and tell him to cut the platitudes. The English language contains many old, worn-out clichés, or platitudes. Phrases like "ants in your pants" and "as American as apple pie" are so overused that they've almost lost their meaning. People rely on these tired old remarks when they can't think of anything original to say. Be warned: if you throw too many platitudes into your conversations, people are eventually going to get tired of listening to you.
Vocabulary lists containing platitude
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Nearly every line approaches platitude: “You can get lost in the blink of an eye”; “on a clear day you can see forever”; “I think one day I’ll slip away.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
I’m not here to excuse this essay or deliver some platitude about separating art from the artist.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2026
As the platitude goes, the cost of community is convenience.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026
His platitude of “humility is only a day away” feels more like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2025
This is not a mere platitude; it is a prescription for liberation.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Another says, "He never spouts empty, feel-good platitudes; instead, he crouches down to face real-life dilemmas alongside us."
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
The quarterback usually speaks in emotionless platitudes during news conferences.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
Her attempts at dialogue met with platitudes and obvious falsehoods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Then again, some of the recent layoff announcements have included details about AI usage that aren’t the usual platitudes.
From Barron's ● Apr. 15, 2026
The appeal of standing in an open gym or high school auditorium to hear lofty promises and platitudes never made much sense to me.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
