1
as in normal
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events
a commonplace occurrence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ubiquitous
often observed or encountered
the large corporate mergers that have become commonplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
a thriller that uses the commonplace plot twist of the evil twin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cliché
an idea or expression that has been used by many people
the familiar summertime commonplace that "It's not the heat, it's the humidity"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 commonplace
Lee Billings, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
The outgoing policy, enacted by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch under then-mayor Eric Adams last May, came amid concern over pedestrian safety given the high volume of e-bike traffic that has become commonplace on NYC streets.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Plot details are under wraps, but that's commonplace for a Perkins project.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commonplace
Adjective
Space launches are now so commonplace that they’re scarcely seen as newsworthy.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2026
The outgoing policy, enacted by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch under then-mayor Eric Adams last May, came amid concern over pedestrian safety given the high volume of e-bike traffic that has become commonplace on NYC streets.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
But in between these commonplace alerts are empty spaces people wake into as to a sort of apnea.
—David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Plot details are under wraps, but that's commonplace for a Perkins project.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commonplace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commonplace
Adjective
-
James turned forty-one at the end of that month, an age at which many people start to notice the normal degeneration of their tendons and joints.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The start of the day seemed very normal to me.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Cheap, ubiquitous and always on, cameras are uniquely useful targets.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Netflix became ubiquitous as a subscription product, while YouTube became the go-to platform for younger (and then increasingly older) viewing habits.—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Kelly Enders-Tharp, a three-time surrogate and education and experience specialist at Growing Generations, explains that surrogates are often stereotyped, or that their backgrounds are misrepresented.—
Kris Ann Valdez,
Parents,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Later, Lenape artist Joe Baker places cutout photographs of his ancestors over the stereotyped images of Native Americans found in the wallpaper.—
Tom McDonough,
Artforum,
1 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Many Catholic theologians believe that ordinary care and treatment such as feeding tubes, on the other hand, should be continued.—
Robert S. Olick,
The Conversation,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Send no one back to Congress who will not commit to tax reform benefiting ordinary Americans.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Staffing shortages have forced some travelers to build in significantly more time before flights – sometimes hours more than usual.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
-
February 19 – March 20 Home is where the heart is — that’s even more true than usual.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
They have been seen directing snaking security lines and passing out water bottles to tired travelers.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Step in when someone’s tired or needs a break.—
Chris John Amorosino,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That is a truism of NFL free agency.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The play isn’t subtle; the final sequence leans hard on truisms about addiction and trauma, which are affecting but overly explicit.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In early 2019 and in late 2025, two federal government shutdowns ended shortly after travel disruptions escalated following higher-than-typical absences of air traffic controllers.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The education budget in a typical year is about a third of the city’s total financial plan, which has historically failed to account for actual spending.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commonplace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commonplace. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
