English Dictionary

Definition of “commonplace

commonplace (ˈkɒmənˌpleɪsPronunciation for commonplace

Definitions

adjective

  1. ordinary; everyday  ⇒ commonplace duties 
  2. dull and obvious; trite  ⇒ commonplace prose 

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

Alternative Forms

ˈcommonˌplaceness noun

Word Origin

C16: translation of Latin locus commūnis  argument of wide application, translation of Greek koinos topos

Usage examples

  • Hard man, soft man, the commonplace of interrogation technique.
    Ruell, Patrick, The Only Game (1991)
  • Police "crime maps" that identify areas prone to illegal activity are commonplace.
    New Scientist (2003)
  • At Stirling senior public school in the Hastings and Prince Edward district school, assigning lines is a commonplace mode of punishment.
    canada.com (2004)
  • The £10,000 Rolls Royce is as commonplace as a second-hand Golf.
    Independent (1999)
  • It is by now a commonplace that families in which child abuse occurs are socially isolated.
    Herman, Judith Lewis, Trauma and Recovery (1992)

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