platitude

American  

[plat-i-tood, -tyood] / ˈplæt ɪˌtud, -ˌtjud /

noun

• platitudes
  plural

1. a flat, dull, or trite remark, especially one uttered as if it were fresh or profound.

   Synonyms:

   truism, cliché

2. the quality or state of being flat, dull, or trite.

   the platitude of most political oratory.

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platitude British  

/ ˈplætɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. a trite, dull, or obvious remark or statement; a commonplace

2. staleness or insipidity of thought or language; triteness

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• platitudinous
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• platitudes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of platitude

First recorded in 1805–15; from French: literally, “flatness,” equivalent to plat “flat” ( cf. plate ¹) + -itude -tude ( def. )

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

platitude platitudes

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

In my days as a baby gay, the go-to platitude around being queer was that our differences are what make us special.

From Salon ● Jun. 18, 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

One likes to think there’s something in it, that old platitude amor vincit omnia.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

I won’t miss his countless platitudes delivered in a voice of the deepest solemnity conveying moral superiority.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

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

Dennis Radtke, chairman of the CDU's employee wing, called Sunday's vote a "watershed moment" and said that "the usual platitudes about a 'bitter evening' and the need for analysis won't cut it".

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

Afterward, his father didn’t console him with platitudes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 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

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Related Words

• banality
• bromide

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