banality

American  

[buh-nal-i-tee, bey-] / bəˈnæl ɪ ti, beɪ- /

noun

plural

banalities

1. the condition or quality of being banal, or devoid of freshness or originality.

   the banality of everyday life.

2. an instance of this.

   We sat around the dinner table exchanging banalities.

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Etymology

Origin of banality

First recorded in 1815–25; from French banalité, equivalent to banal ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Explanation

A banality is a trite, boring, or overused remark. That includes clichés like "life is short" and your basic small talk about the weather. Banalities are sayings that almost everyone uses, and because they're so well-known, they've lost all their power. These expressions are clichéd and many people find them annoying. "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade" is one good example. When you're writing or speaking, you're much better off trying to find fresh language because one tends to hear the same old banalities again and again.

Example Sentences

It’s technically called “The Katie Miller Podcast,” but a better title would be “The Banality of Evil.”

From Salon • Sep. 8, 2025

Snyder’s piece, “The Banality of Good,” explores the motivations of those who rescued Jews during the Holocaust, and their surprising inability to explain their actions.

From Slate • Oct. 9, 2015

Banality is the chief ingredient in her work, and she uses it like an all-purpose seasoning that, paradoxically, subtracts flavor.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2015

The proudly kitsch Banality series, medium-sized wood and porcelain works of subjects such as Michael Jackson and his pet chimpanzee, Bubbles, still affronts and generates an agreeable queasiness.

From The Guardian • Jun. 25, 2014

Banality was at once the curse and the saving grace of mankind.

From The Lani People by Bone, Jesse F. (Jesse Franklin)

Related Words

• platitude