What does "commonplace" mean?
A platitude or cliché.
Commonplace
/ˈkɑmənˌpleɪs/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A platitude or cliché.
- Grammar: commonplace is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: bromide, platitude, abstraction, acceptable.
- Useful contrasts: surprising, abhorrent, astonishing feat.
- Usage evidence: Space travel will be commonplace some time in the future.
How to use "commonplace"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "commonplace" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "commonplace" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "commonplace" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "commonplace" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "commonplace" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bromide" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "commonplace", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A platitude or cliché.
"Finally he began to mutter some commonplaces which meant nothing particularly."
- 2 a trite or obvious remark wordnet
- 3 Something that is ordinary; something commonly done or occurring.
"It is odd how easily the common-places of morality or of sentiment glide off in conversation. Well, they are "exceedingly helpful," and so Lord Avonleigh found them."
- 4 A memorandum; something to be frequently consulted or referred to.
"Whatever, in my reading, occurs concerning this our fellow creature, I do never fail to set it down by way of common-place."
- 5 A commonplace book.
Verb
- 1 To make a commonplace book.
- 2 To enter in a commonplace book, or to reduce to general heads.
"I do not apprehend any difficulty in collecting and commonplacing an universal history from the […]historians."
- 3 To utter commonplaces; to indulge in platitudes. obsolete
"And something angered Tamara in the way the Prince assisted in all this, out-commonplacing her friend in commonplaces with the suavest politeness."
Adjective
- 1 Ordinary; not having any remarkable characteristics.
""This Mr. Tyrrel," she said, in a tone of authoritative decision, "seems after all a very ordinary sort of person, quite a commonplace man.""
Adjective
- 1 not challenging; dull and lacking excitement wordnet
- 2 completely ordinary and unremarkable wordnet
- 3 repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"Space travel will be commonplace some time in the future."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "commonplace"?
Common synonyms include: bromide, platitude, abstraction, acceptable, accustomed, actual.
How do you use "commonplace" in a sentence?
Space travel will be commonplace some time in the future.
How do you pronounce "commonplace"?
Pronounced /ˈkɑmənˌpleɪs/.
Etymology
A calque of Latin locus commūnis, referring to a generally applicable literary passage, itself a calque of Ancient Greek κοινὸς τόπος (koinòs tópos).