conventional wisdom

noun

: 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

Summary Productivity expert Neal Schore challenges conventional wisdom, arguing that true time loss stems not from poor planning but from internal factors like fear, overthinking, and emotional habits. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Both were Jewish, and the conventional wisdom was the statewide ticket could not include more than one Jew. — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2026

For all of Mansour’s skepticism about conventional wisdom—and being an industry disruptor—his willingness to take risks has put Kalshi in the crosshairs over allegations of insider trading and criticism that its contracts amount to gambling. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026

Lawrence, whose campaign is centered on the economy, opposing AI data centers and keeping money at home instead of funding foreign wars, argues that the conventional wisdom about moderation being the key to electability is all wrong. — Tamara Keith, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for conventional wisdom

• unwisdom