commonplace

1 of 2

adjective

: commonly found or seen : ordinary, unremarkable
a commonplace occurrence
the large mergers that had become commonplace
Computers are commonplace in classrooms.
commonplaceness noun

commonplace

2 of 2

noun

com·​mon·​place ˈkä-mən-ˌplās How to pronounce commonplace (audio)
1
a
: an obvious or trite comment : truism
It is a commonplace that a fool and his money are soon parted.
b
: something commonly found
A smartphone is a commonplace.
2
archaic : a striking passage entered in a commonplace book

Examples of commonplace in a Sentence

Adjective Drug use has become commonplace at rock concerts. He photographed commonplace objects like lamps and bowls. Noun It is a commonplace that we only use a small part of our brain's capacity. We now accept cell phones and laptop computers as commonplaces of everyday life.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Civilian casualties and disappearances were commonplace. Beverly Bryan, SPIN, 14 Mar. 2024 Armed gangs are taking over the streets of Gaza City, fistfights and stabbings are commonplace in long queues for food, and the occasional aid trucks that arrive must brave mobs of looters. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2024 Some day soon or further off, synthetic narrators and actors might be commonplace and accepted without so much as a blink, but for now there is room for debate: What is lost and what is gained when a machine does the work of a human performer? Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024 Both strategies have been commonplace in the sector as executives are increasingly being pressured to make streaming profitable. Bruce Gil, Quartz, 6 Mar. 2024 After the pandemic first hit and employees began to work remotely with more frequency, virtual town halls and layoffs became more commonplace. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024 After a spate of large bank mergers in recent years, smaller divestitures like this may become more commonplace. Robert Daugherty, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Today, the practice of announcing price hikes during peak times is still commonplace. Joe Hernandez, NPR, 28 Feb. 2024 Ghosting has unfortunately become commonplace in the hiring process, and one of the biggest pain points for job seekers in today’s labor market. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Mullins depicts the commonplace in a manner that allows reveries to sometimes seep in. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Sacred books are far from commonplace in ancient religions. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023 It’s become a commonplace in business to say the pace of change is faster than ever. Alan Murray, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2024 Affordable and durable but polished to a luxurious sheen, the compound has become a commonplace of modern architecture, found everywhere from subway stairwells to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Zoey Poll, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023 From the commonplace to the world changing, such examples of synchronicity are often dismissed as coincidence. Ginny Whitelaw, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2023 But a book that spent less of its time reprising our era’s commonplaces would have made better use of ours. Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2023 Walking with her is a slow and deliberate act in which commonplace fixtures become daunting obstacles: a curb is to be navigated with care; a short flight of steps has to be accounted for with additional travel time. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2023 The pandemic has made videoconferencing commonplace, and many people remain wary of large gatherings. Adam Liptak, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commonplace.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

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

First Known Use

Adjective

1616, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1531, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of commonplace was circa 1531

Dictionary Entries Near commonplace

Cite this Entry

“Commonplace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commonplace. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

commonplace

1 of 2 noun
com·​mon·​place ˈkäm-ən-ˌplās How to pronounce commonplace (audio)
: something that is often seen, heard, or met with

commonplace

2 of 2 adjective
: very common or ordinary

More from Merriam-Webster on commonplace

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