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
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 In recent years, Alpine resorts have begun to offer luxe amenities above and beyond those that have become commonplace, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024 Even as mass shootings became commonplace, LaPierre rejected attempts to change gun policy, branding gun control proponents as enemies of freedom and using the threat of firearms regulation to fundraise. Emma Bowman, NPR, 24 Feb. 2024 In California’s largest county, Los Angeles, for one, the five-woman Board of Supervisors voted to urge the U.S. Supreme Court to let local governments criminalize occupants of homeless encampments that have become commonplace under freeway overpasses and along sidewalks. Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024 The devastation wrought by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war has become horrifyingly commonplace. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2024 In fact, this kind of alliance between former foes has become commonplace in Indonesia’s democratic era. Ben Bland, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2024 But as filler has become increasingly commonplace, doctors are seeing more and more cases in which malar edema has been caused by improperly or overabundantly-placed filler in the undereye area, which can interfere with your lymphatic drainage system. Taryn Brooke, Allure, 1 Feb. 2024 This lofty notion, once associated primarily with opera and architecture, is now commonplace. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 16 Feb. 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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