Commonplace — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈkä-mən-ˌplās/ com·mon·place

Meaning & Definition of Commonplace

Commonplace (adjective)

  1. commonly found or seen, ordinary, unremarkable

Commonplace (noun)

  1. an obvious or trite comment, truism
  2. something commonly found
  3. a striking passage entered in a commonplace book

Commonplace (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events

    "a commonplace occurrence"

    similar: average, common, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, standard-issue, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday, par for the course
    related: regular, typical, unextraordinary, familiar, homely, plain, plain-Jane, popular, vulgar, natural, customary, wonted, insignificant, trivial, unimportant, frequent, habitual, expected, predictable
    opposite: abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, unusual
    near: curious, funny, peculiar, quaint, queer, aberrant, anomalous, atypical, irregular, untypical, rare, recherché, scarce, fantastic, phenomenal, bizarre, far-out, Kafkaesque, outrageous, outré, wacky, way-out, weird, wild, eccentric, idiosyncratic, kooky, nonconformist, oddball, offbeat, unconventional, unorthodox, freak, freakish, conspicuous, notable, novel, outstanding, prominent, salient, signal, striking, unexampled, unprecedented, singular, unique, unparalleled

  2. often observed or encountered

    "the large corporate mergers that have become commonplace"

    similar: common, common or garden (chiefly British), everyday, familiar, frequent, garden-variety, household, ordinary, quotidian, routine, ubiquitous, usual, a dime a dozen
    related: normal, regular, standard, de rigueur, mandatory, obligatory, general, universal, ceaseless, constant, continual, continuous, incessant, unceasing, endemic, popular, prevailing, prevalent, rampant, perennial, recurrent, repeated
    opposite: extraordinary, infrequent, rare, seldom, uncommon, unfamiliar, unusual
    near: aberrant, abnormal, irregular, unnatural, intermittent, occasional, sporadic

  3. used or heard so often as to be dull

    "a thriller that uses the commonplace plot twist of the evil twin"

    similar: banal, cliché, clichéd, cobwebby, hack, hackney, hackneyed, moth-eaten, musty, obligatory, shopworn, stale, stereotyped, threadbare, timeworn, tired, trite, well-worn
    related: twice-told, bromidic, platitudinal, platitudinous, canned, cardboard, conventional, cookie-cutter, derivative, imitative, ready-made, tried-and-true, unimaginative, uninspired, unoriginal, normal, ordinary, rote, routine, standard, stock, typical, usual, arid, barren, boring, colorless, drab, dreary, drudging, dry, dull, dusty, flat, heavy, ho-hum, humdrum, jading, jejune, leaden, mind-numbing, monotonous, numbing, old, pedantic, pedestrian, ponderous, prosaic, stodgy, stuffy, tame, tedious, tiresome, tiring, undramatic, uninteresting, vapid, wearisome, weary, wearying, old-fashioned, old hat
    opposite: fresh, new, novel, original, unclichéd, unhackneyed
    near: animating, energizing, enlivening, exciting, galvanizing, invigorating, stimulating, absorbing, engaging, engrossing, gripping, interesting, intriguing, involving, riveting, atypical, extraordinary, strange, unaccustomed, uncommon, unfamiliar, unheard-of, unknown, unprecedented, unusual, pathbreaking, pioneering, trailblazing

Commonplace (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. an idea or expression that has been used by many people

    "the familiar summertime commonplace that It's not the heat, it's the humidity"

    similar: banality, bromide, chestnut, cliché, groaner, homily, platitude, shibboleth, trope, truism
    related: conventional wisdom, party line, routine, inanity, generality, generalization, simplification, adage, proverb, saw, saying, old wives' tale, stereotype
    near: profundity

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Commonplace

The most common words with a similar meaning to Commonplace:

Chiefly British: common or garden
average, common, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, standard-issue, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday, familiar, frequent, household, quotidian, ubiquitous, banal, cliché, clichéd, cobwebby, hack, hackney, hackneyed, moth-eaten, musty, obligatory, shopworn, stale, stereotyped, threadbare, timeworn, tired, trite, well-worn, par for the course

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Commonplace

Words with the opposite meaning of Commonplace:

abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, unusual, infrequent, rare, seldom, uncommon, unfamiliar, fresh, new, novel, original, unclichéd, unhackneyed

Related Words for Commonplace

regular, typical, unextraordinary, homely, plain, plain-Jane, popular, vulgar, natural, customary, wonted, insignificant, trivial, unimportant, habitual, expected, predictable, de rigueur, mandatory, general, universal, ceaseless, constant, continual, continuous, incessant, unceasing, endemic, prevailing, prevalent

Near Antonyms of Commonplace

curious, funny, peculiar, quaint, queer, aberrant, anomalous, atypical, irregular, untypical, recherché, scarce, fantastic, phenomenal, bizarre, far-out, Kafkaesque, outrageous, outré, wacky, way-out, weird, wild, eccentric, idiosyncratic, kooky, nonconformist, oddball, offbeat, unconventional

Word Forms of Commonplace

Derived words: commonplaceness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Commonplace

translation of Latin locus communis widely applicable argument, translation of Greek koinos topos

First known use: 1616

Words & Phrases Containing Commonplace

commonplace book

Frequently Asked Questions about Commonplace

What does "Commonplace" mean?

"Commonplace" means commonly found or seen, ordinary, unremarkable. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: commonly found or seen, ordinary, unremarkable. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Commonplace"?

Other words for "Commonplace" include average, common, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, normal, ordinary and prosaic. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Commonplace" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Commonplace"?

There are 152 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Commonplace". Common alternatives include average, common, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine and run-of-the-mill.

What is the opposite of "Commonplace"?

Antonyms of "Commonplace" include abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, unusual and infrequent. Near antonyms include curious, funny, peculiar and quaint.

How do you use "Commonplace" in a sentence?

Examples of "Commonplace" in a sentence: "a commonplace occurrence"; "the large corporate mergers that have become commonplace"; "a thriller that uses the commonplace plot twist of the evil twin".

Is "Commonplace" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Commonplace" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Commonplace"?

"Commonplace" is pronounced /ˈkä-mən-ˌplās/ and divided into syllables as com·mon·place.

What is the origin of the word "Commonplace"?

"Commonplace" comes from translation of Latin locus communis widely applicable argument, translation of Greek koinos topos. First known use: 1616.