commonplace

1 of 2

adjective

com·​mon·​place ˈkä-mən-ˌplās 

: 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

1

a

: an obvious or trite comment : truism

It is a commonplace that you don't know what you've got till it's gone.

b

: something commonly found

A smartphone is a commonplace.

2

archaic : a striking passage entered in a commonplace book

Synonyms of commonplace

Adjective

• normal
• ordinary
• usual
• typical
• common
• average

Noun

• cliché
• truism
• banality
• trope
• platitude
• bromide

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

Corporate slop, carefully calibrated to appeal to nostalgic fans without offering anything new on their own terms, is commonplace these days. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 3 Apr. 2026

Same-sex weddings are commonplace now in the Netherlands. —Aleksandar Furtula, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026

Noun

By the time Szeemann was invited to organize two consecutive installments of the Venice Biennale (in 1999 and 2001), the criticism of curators’ assuming the role of meta-artists, in Szeemann’s case with quasi-shamanistic aspirations, had become a commonplace. —Daniel Birnbaum, Artforum, 2 Apr. 2026

But little things can turn the commonplace into tragedy. —Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026

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

Phrases Containing commonplace

• commonplace book

Rhymes for commonplace

• aerospace
• anatase
• anyplace
• cyberspace
• database
• diabase
• diastase
• dnase
• elastase
• fireplace
• hyperspace
• interface

Kids Definition

commonplace

1 of 2 noun

com·​mon·​place ˈkäm-ən-ˌplās 

: something that is often seen, heard, or met with

commonplace

2 of 2 adjective

: very common or ordinary