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

See Examples For:

conventional wisdom

The conventional wisdom is that after “Batman” he was usually just playing Jack.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

And now, against all conventional wisdom, Tugboat has docked in the big leagues.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

The conventional wisdom is that Darline Graham will likely make the runoff and then the second spot will be a competition between Fry and Norman.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

And while conventional wisdom says you should always cook what you know when hosting, I think that’s baloney.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

Anyone who tries even casually to follow their advice may be stymied, for the conventional wisdom on parenting seems to shift by the hour.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt