banal

[ buh-nal, -nahl, beyn-l ]
See synonyms for: banalbanality on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. devoid of freshness or originality; hackneyed; trite: a banal and sophomoric treatment of courage on the frontier.

Origin of banal

1
First recorded in 1745–55; from French, Old French: “pertaining to a ban”; equivalent to ban2 + -al1

synonym study For banal

Other words from banal

  • ba·nal·i·ty [buh-nal-i-tee, bey-], /bəˈnæl ɪ ti, beɪ-/, noun
  • ba·nal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby banal

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How to use banal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for banal

banal

/ (bəˈnɑːl) /


adjective
  1. lacking force or originality; trite; commonplace

Origin of banal

1
C18: from Old French: relating to compulsory feudal service, hence common to all, commonplace; from ban ban ²

Derived forms of banal

  • banality (bəˈnælɪtɪ), noun
  • banally, adverb

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