commonplace

American  

[kom-uhn-pleys] / ˈkɒm ənˌpleɪs /

adjective

1. ordinary; undistinguished or uninteresting; without individuality.

   a commonplace person.

2. trite; hackneyed; platitudinous.

   a commonplace remark.

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noun

1. a well-known, customary, or obvious remark; a trite or uninteresting saying.

   Synonyms:

   stereotype, platitude, bromide, cliché

2. anything common, ordinary, or uninteresting.

3. Archaic. a place or passage in a book or writing noted as important for reference or quotation.

commonplace British  

/ ˈkɒmənˌpleɪs /

adjective

1. ordinary; everyday

   commonplace duties

2. dull and obvious; trite

   commonplace prose

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noun

1. something dull and trite, esp a remark; platitude; truism

2. a passage in a book marked for inclusion in a commonplace book, etc

3. an ordinary or common thing

Related Words

Commonplace, banal, hackneyed, stereotyped, trite describe words, remarks, and styles of expression that are lifeless and uninteresting. Commonplace characterizes thought that is dull, ordinary, and platitudinous: commonplace and boring. Something is banal that seems inane, insipid, and pointless: a heavy-handed and banal affirmation of the obvious. Hackneyed characterizes something that seems stale and worn out through overuse: a hackneyed comparison. Stereotyped emphasizes the fact that situations felt to be similar invariably call for the same thought in exactly the same form and the same words: so stereotyped as to seem automatic. Trite describes something that was originally striking and apt, but which has become so well-known and been so commonly used that all interest has been worn out of it: true but trite.

Other Word Forms

• commonplacely adverb
• commonplaceness noun
• uncommonplace adjective

Etymology

Origin of commonplace

1525–35; translation of Latin locus commūnis, itself translation of Greek koinòs tópos

Example Sentences

So-called jamming has been commonplace along the Russia-Ukraine border over recent years, and now the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil is transported, is besieged by such electronic attacks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Gay says smaller incidents are commonplace during the summer when walkers "go where they aren't used to going".

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

That such a seemingly commonplace location is elevated to feel mesmerizing speaks to how animation can make the mundane anew.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

Alavi was given a range of equipment including a sewing machine, fabric and cash for a solar panel -- essential in a country where power cuts are commonplace.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

“It’s easy. You barely know what’s happening when you’re under. It’s only when you resurface that you even know what you said. I went under when I was a kid. It’s pretty commonplace in Candor.”

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

Related Words

• customary
• mundane
• normal
• obvious
• prevalent
• typical