: happening or appearing in many places and not unusual : very common or ordinary
Drug use has become commonplace at rock concerts.
He photographed commonplace objects like lamps and bowls.
Much of her writing was commonplace [=unoriginal, unremarkable] and boring.
plural commonplaces
formal
1
: an idea, expression, remark, etc., that is not new or interesting
It is a commonplace that we only use a small part of our brain's capacity.
2
: something that happens or appears in many places and is not unusual
We now accept cell phones and laptop computers as commonplaces of everyday life.
Cite this Entry
“Commonplace.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/commonplace. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
