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

Supporters admired his willingness to cut interest rates and keep them low even as unemployment rates fell, which conventional wisdom said would cause inflation to spiral out of control.

From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026

TotalEnergies has ignored the conventional wisdom against price caps for several years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

If a subway would work anywhere in modern Los Angeles, conventional wisdom said, it was along Wilshire Boulevard.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Trump is a political survivor who has demonstrated a remarkable ability to confound conventional wisdom.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026

Roman, thirty-two, inquisitive and outspoken, has a doctorate in biology from Stanford and an abiding distrust of conventional wisdom.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer