definitions

banal

[ buh-nal, -nahl, beyn-l ]
/ bəˈnæl, -ˈnɑl, ˈbeɪn l /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR banal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

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

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RELATED WORDS

mundane, hackneyed, vapid, stupid, dumb, corny, trite, bland, blah, common, conventional, everyday, flat, hokey, humdrum, insipid, nothing, ordinary, pabulum, pedestrian

Nearby words

ban-the-bomber, banaba, banaban, banach space, banak, banal, banality, banalize, banally, banana, banana belt

Origin of banal

1745–55; < French; Old French: pertaining to a ban (see ban2, -al1)
Related formsba·nal·i·ty [buh-nal-i-tee, bey-] /bəˈnæl ɪ ti, beɪ-/, nounba·nal·ly, adverb

Synonym study

See commonplace.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for banal

banal

/ (bəˈnɑːl) /

adjective

lacking force or originality; trite; commonplace
Derived Formsbanality (bəˈnælɪtɪ), nounbanally, adverb

Word Origin for banal

C18: from Old French: relating to compulsory feudal service, hence common to all, commonplace; from ban ban ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012