commonplace

adjective

Definition of commonplace

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

commonplace

noun

com·mon·place | \ ˈkä-mən-ˌplās

Definition of commonplace (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : 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

Other Words from commonplace Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about commonplace

Keep scrolling for more

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 When discussing the efficiency of power generation, many factors play into the overall picture, including the impacts of environmental circumstances as commonplace as temperature and humidity levels. — Aj Abdallat, Forbes, "The Future Of Smart Cities’ Utilities: Powering Progress With AI," 12 Apr. 2021 Once considered the not-so-secret tool of celebrities and the wealthy with a bad rap for freezing faces, the wrinkle-melting injections have become a commonplace activity of a normie class with money to spare. — New York Times, "How Barely-There Botox Became the Norm," 8 Apr. 2021 Tchen pointed out how commonplace rigid scheduling is tied to an expectation that employees can constantly be available to their employers. — Erin Delmore, NBC News, "Tina Tchen of Time's Up: It's time to adopt THIS new approach if we want truly equitable workplaces," 2 Apr. 2021 The many instances of the unrestrained defense tactic demonstrate the failure of the court to create a truly race-neutral trial for all citizens and how commonplace this in the American judicial system. — Star Tribune, "Readers Write: Chauvin trial, federal election laws, sexual assault ruling," 1 Apr. 2021 Now, though, as with all trends that reach a certain degree of saturation, such references have become so commonplace as to be vaguely predictable. — Rosalind Jana, refinery29.com, "Why Do Fashion People Love Virginia Woolf So Much?," 30 Mar. 2021 It’s that this branch seems to make an effort to include a wide range of nonfiction film, with an increasingly global sampling that stretches commonplace conventions of what a documentary looks like. — Chris Feil, Vulture, "Every Academy Awards Voting Branch Ranked by Taste," 25 Mar. 2021 Few know, for example, that the lynching, burning, and killing of Chinese residents were commonplace occurences up and down the West Coast during the 19th century. — Anne Anlin Cheng, The Atlantic, "Let Us Be Clear About How Racist Misogyny Works," 23 Mar. 2021 Such restrictive deeds that prevented homes from being resold to minorities were commonplace around the nation. — Los Angeles Times, "From the KKK to skinheads, a century of fighting hate in Orange County," 21 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Locals like Fitzsimmons have also told CBS News that they are concerned by new housing developments that have become commonplace in the area in an attempt to market the location to new residents. — Li Cohen, CBS News, ""A ticking time bomb": Floridians near reservoir on brink of collapse fear what lies ahead as wastewater continues to leak," 5 Apr. 2021 The waiver was renewed for 120 days, an increase in shorter extensions that had become commonplace during the Trump administration. — Matthew Lee, ajc, "Biden admin lauds talks on readmitting US to Iran nuke deal," 1 Apr. 2021 Those conversations are the test of any art’s cultural vitality—commonplace regarding books and movies but rarer, and a mite self-consciously special, in cases of visual art, where undertones of rarity and brute expensiveness intrude. — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, "When a Museum Feels Like Home," 8 Feb. 2021 Sweat suits, joggers, leggings, and T-shirts have all become commonplace to see on your video work calls. — Chris Hachey, BGR, "Best Beard Grooming Kit," 24 Mar. 2021 Human papillomavirus, also known as HPV, is the most commonplace, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. — Megan Marples, CNN, "What is HPV? What you should know about vaccines, symptoms and cancer risks," 4 Mar. 2021 This combination is typical of Casey’s style, in which the commonplace flows into a glistening divine. — Washington Post, "In the galleries: A focus on the intersection of art and movement," 26 Feb. 2021 In Ferlinghetti’s world, what comes through is an abiding affection for the commonplace. — Los Angeles Times, "Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet and titan of the Beat era, dies at 101," 23 Feb. 2021 Outside of frigid climes, ice is always a miracle, even if the ingenious invention of vapor-compression refrigeration has made the miracle commonplace. — Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, "Pellet Ice Is the Good Ice," 27 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'commonplace.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.