banality

noun

bə-ˈna-lə-tē How to pronounce banality (audio)
Definition of banalitynext
as in cliché
an idea or expression that has been used by many people another sitcom based on the banality of roommates with opposite personalities

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of banality In the last few decades, that swagger seems to have collapsed under the weight of a tepid banality. — Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026 One effect of this austerity and repression is to focus attention on Albee’s language, with its slippery banalities and barbs. — Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026 The scale and range of Dominique Pelicot’s partners in crime showed the terrible banality of their acts, and how easily society had allowed them. — Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026 Sometimes, though, this immediacy leads to songwriting that’s literal-minded to the point of banality. — Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for banality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banality
  1. bromide
  2. commonplace
  3. platitude
  4. truism
  5. trope
  6. saying
Noun
  • The fire contained compounds from more than two dozen chemical families, including dangerous amounts of bromide, a naturally occurring element that can irritate the skin and mucus membranes.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 29 June 2026
  • The bromide has been debunked, but there is power — and delight — in making coffee shop drinks at home.
    — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 25 June 2026
Definition of bromide
Noun
  • 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
Definition of commonplace
Noun
  • The shorter run time also means some themes get reduced into syrup; the platitudes come as fast and furious as Tao and Elle’s breakups and makeups, with too little space to breathe in between.
    — Gemma Wilson, Boston Herald, 19 July 2026
  • As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, some of America’s most visible business leaders are doing more than offering patriotic platitudes.
    — Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of platitude
Noun
  • There are, however, exceptions to this truism, which brings me to my brief personal list of best movie adaptations of great literature.
    — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026
  • There’s a truism that all models are wrong, but some are useful.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 July 2026
Definition of truism
Noun
  • The book pays homage to all your classic romance tropes — fake relationship, enemies to lovers, boy next door — but spins them on their head in this new take on what happily ever after looks like.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 July 2026
  • The series premiering on Starz is, more than anything else, blandly familiar, mining all the tropes of several popular genres without finding anything distinctive in the combination.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026
Definition of trope
Noun
  • The next three chapters offer an anthology of sayings from rabbis who were active in the early centuries of the Common Era, including Hillel and Johanan ben Zakkai, among many other tannaim.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
  • But the saying also slyly sets the stage for the men’s existential inquiries; in Cool Machine, Pepper and Carney ask themselves the same thing.
    — Niela Orr, Vulture, 20 July 2026
Definition of saying

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banalities
banality
bananas
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Cite this Entry

“Banality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banality. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of banality for Spanish Speakers

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