conventional wisdom

American  

noun

1. something that is generally believed; prudence.

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conventional wisdom Idioms  

1. A widely held belief on which most people act. For example, According to conventional wisdom, an incumbent nearly always wins more votes than a new candidate. This term was invented by John Kenneth Galbraith, who used it in The Affluent Society (1958) to describe economic ideas that are familiar, predictable, and therefore accepted by the general public. Today it is used in any context where public opinion has considerable influence on the course of events.

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Etymology

Origin of conventional wisdom

Probably earlier than 1965–70

Example Sentences

Former Big Ten weakling Indiana defied all conventional wisdom to become the nation’s only undefeated team and claim its first-ever No. 1 ranking.

From The Wall Street Journal

Todd McKinnon might never have become CEO of $16 billion software company Okta if not for an uncool move he made early in his career — and one that goes against the conventional wisdom.

From MarketWatch

The conventional wisdom in Washington is that costs will be the dominant issue heading into next fall’s midterm elections.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s foolish not to conclude that the old rules, the old conventional wisdom about what voters will accept and what they will not, are out the window for good.

From Los Angeles Times

Or so goes the conventional wisdom: By handing off tasks to direct reports, managers free themselves up for higher-level work, empower employees and increase the capacity of their teams.

From The Wall Street Journal