conventional wisdom

noun

Synonyms of conventional wisdomnext
: the generally accepted belief, opinion, judgment, or prediction about a particular matter

Examples of conventional wisdom in a Sentence

Conventional wisdom in Hollywood says that a movie can't succeed unless it stars a famous actor or actress.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The conventional wisdom was that no American could be elected pope while the US remained the world’s dominant power. Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026 Remember, too, that while the conventional wisdom dictates that a new mortgage rate that's a full percentage point lower than your current one is worth pursuing, sometimes a rate that's just half a percentage point lower could also be valuable. Matt Richardson, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026 That was conventional wisdom until 2010, when California anglers shattered that myth with their swimbaits at an FLW Tour event at Lake Ouachita. Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026 One of the first clues that the conventional wisdom about willpower was wrong came in 2015. Francine Russo, Scientific American, 28 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for conventional wisdom

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of conventional wisdom was in 1838

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Cite this Entry

“Conventional wisdom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conventional%20wisdom. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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