quotidian
Americanadjective
-
occurring as part of the normal or expected order of things; usual or customary; everyday.
Her biographer delved into the most routine and quotidian parts of her life to paint a fuller picture of his subject.
-
of no special quality or interest; ordinary; commonplace.
His paintings are pleasant to look at, but show nothing more than quotidian talent.
-
done, happening, or given daily.
We recommend quotidian dialysis for the patient.
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(of a fever or disease) characterized by the recurring daily intensification of symptoms.
Malarial fevers tend to be quotidian, with daily attacks lasting up to 12 hours before abating.
noun
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something that is characteristic of everyday life.
Their writing focuses on the quotidian and mundane.
It's easy to get stuck in the quotidian and forget to try new things.
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Archaic. a fever or disease characterized by the recurring daily intensification of symptoms.
adjective
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(esp of attacks of malarial fever) recurring daily
-
everyday; commonplace
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of quotidian
1300–50; < Latin quotīdiānus, cottīdiānus daily, equivalent to cottīdi ( ē ) every day (adv.) ( *quot ( t ) ī a locative form akin to quot however many occur, every + diē, ablative of diēs day; cf. meridian) + -ānus -an; replacing Middle English cotidien < Old French < Latin, as above
Explanation
Quotidian is a fancy way of saying "daily" or "ordinary." Quotidian events are the everyday details of life. When you talk about the quotidian, you're talking about the little things in life: everyday events that are normal and not that exciting. Going to the store, doing chores, working or going to school, and brushing your teeth are all quotidian. If you take a spaceship to Mars, that would be unusual and extraordinary: the opposite of quotidian.
Vocabulary lists containing quotidian
100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
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Grade 12, List 3
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40 SAT words Beginning with "Q"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“We didn’t know at the time that the internet was going to basically turn into a 24-7 shopping mall,” intent on making shopping quotidian and constant, she says.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
A machine may be allocated a wide range of quotidian writing tasks, but let flesh and blood hold fast the art of writing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
And as a wealthy man immune to many of the struggles of other financial demographics, he wanted to continue avoiding quotidian struggles.
From Slate ● Mar. 30, 2026
By elevating quotidian subject matter to a sublime frenzy of saturated hues, he established color photography as an art form during the 1960s and ’70s, when it had been dismissed as déclassé.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
They are passionate spokespeople for their brand of life, giving Gogol and Moushumi a steady, unquestionable stream of advice about quotidian things.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
