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.
One of the first clues that the conventional wisdom about willpower was wrong came in 2015. Francine Russo, Scientific American, 28 Mar. 2026 Both Allen and Raye challenge the listener to keep up with the plot twists, defying all the conventional wisdom about the audience’s attention span these days. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026 The unpredictability of campaigns means that conventional wisdom about frontrunners and inevitability frequently proves incorrect. Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026 For years its axis had been shifting away from Europe and the West to encompass the growing numbers of Catholics in Africa and Asia… The conventional wisdom had always been that the cardinals would not choose an American pope. Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 14 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Conventional wisdom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conventional%20wisdom. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on conventional wisdom

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster