banality

[buh-nal-i-tee, bey-]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of banality¹

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

Example Sentences

The 37-year-old head coach may have won a title in his second season, but he’s equally known for his deadpan, quirky responses to the usual media banalities.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The cinematography, by Jarred Alterman, is quite handsome and composed, amplifying the seriousness and eeriness, but also the banality and absurdity of the matter.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But to bemoan the barely audible banality of it all – the dull motives, the mumbled attempts to shift blame, the sullen complaints about prison life and unsatisfactory psychiatric evaluations - is to miss the truth.

Read more on BBC

Pregnant also sums up the mood of the novel, which cultivates an atmosphere of ominous banality.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

At the same time, she is also uninterested in spouting the uplifting banalities that can make some celebrities seem calculated, as if every setback is just a marketing opportunity in disguise.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• platitude