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

Lately, though, the conventional wisdom has been challenged, and for good reason: Independent, peer-reviewed research has found no correlation—let alone causation—between diversity and performance.

From The Wall Street Journal

It also runs up against more than a century of American conventional wisdom about fire safety.

From Los Angeles Times

“The conventional wisdom is that as yields rise in Japan, the Japanese are more likely to keep their savings at home rather than export it,” Chandler said.

From MarketWatch

Even so, she sees an underlying challenge to the conventional wisdom about the way foreign ramifications of issues and foreign affairs could affect a U.S. election.

From Los Angeles Times

Yet there’s still a lingering conventional wisdom that says Biden shouldn’t trumpet his economic record.

From Seattle Times