commonplace

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

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

Examples of commonplace in a Sentence

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

Wolff was only the eighth woman to drive a Formula 1 car (four more have done it since); the role, a now-commonplace one that includes driving the simulator during Grand Prix weekends to inform trackside strategy, was created for her. —Danielle McNally, InStyle, 28 May 2026

The videos are often integrated into larger montages of drone strikes, underscoring how commonplace these drones have become for Russian forces. —Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026

Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield offered an observation that has since become a Washington commonplace. —Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 18 May 2026

Or is this commonplace in NBA transactions? —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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