catch phrase

American  

Or catchphrase

noun

1. a phrase that attracts or is meant to attract attention.

2. a phrase, as a slogan, that comes to be widely and repeatedly used, often with little of the original meaning remaining.

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catch phrase British  

noun

1. a well-known frequently used phrase, esp one associated with a particular group, etc

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Etymology

Origin of catch phrase

First recorded in 1840–50; catch(word) + phrase

Example Sentences

The catch phrase “demographics is destiny” isn’t quite right.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

"The catch phrase is always 'physics beyond the Standard Model,'" Gaskell said.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2024

It is impossible to overstate the impact that J.J.’s catch phrase — ”Dyn-o-mite” — had on the culture of the time.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2023

The man had built his brand around the TV catch phrase, "You're fired!"

From Salon • Jul. 25, 2021

But to the district attorney they did not seem to be a mere poetic aspiration, nor a catch phrase with which to adorn his speech; they voiced a real idea, still pulsating with passionate truth.

From Together by Herrick, Robert