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Definition of commonplacenext
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commonplace

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noun

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
Adjective
That investing legendary status into two people who were merely beautiful and fraught in commonplace ways was its own mistake. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026 But Mehdizadeh says the goal is to help people get comfortable with technology that may soon become commonplace. J.d. Miles, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
The most commonplace and the most concerning, as a consequence, come by way of phishing campaigns. Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026 The 1945 War Brides Act largely diverged from these previous measures, helping to dismantle the Asian exclusion made commonplace in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Anna Storti, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for commonplace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commonplace
Adjective
  • Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, said Trump’s attempts to bypass the normal confirmation processes are unconstitutional.
    Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2026
  • According to the study, it is encoded in the internal structure of the remnant through what physicists call quasi-normal modes.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Swipe it through the hummus, balanced in tahini and lemon, and mulchy muhammara twanging with pomegranate molasses, and casik, the Turkish variation of the region’s ubiquitous herbed yogurt and cucumber dip.
    Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
  • These ubiquitous quick-service, genre-defying restaurants are capturing the attention of global travelers.
    Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Apr. 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
  • Events like this have begun to feel ordinary—recurring evidence of the mismatch between aging infrastructure and an emerging ecological reality.
    Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
  • The judge said that conduct, as described in the complaint, could rise above ordinary discipline and implicate a constitutional violation of the student's right to bodily integrity.
    Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The deeper layers of your soul may feel much nearer to the surface than usual.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2026
  • With speed on the right wing as essentially a pure winger rather than her usual right-back role, Oke gave Reign’s defense fits, especially when another midfielder joined and created overloads.
    Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Even in Huntington Beach, residents tired of perpetual culture wars rejected two ballot measures last year seeking to give the City Council more control over a municipal library system that Van Der Mark long claimed was essentially providing pornography to children.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Ditch those tired frozen meals and try out something a bit more exciting in your work lunch routine.
    Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Ever since, intelligence officers have ruefully invoked that truism whenever they’re blamed for a major screwup.
    Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
  • But, travel experts say, that truism doesn't apply during this tumultuous period.
    ANDREA SACHS THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • As noted earlier, Form 1099-K is the typical reporting form gig workers receive from platforms that handle the collection of payments from customers and transfer the worker’s share to them.
    Annette Nellen, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
  • So far, the WGA has only disclosed to members that the provisional agreement will span four years rather than the union’s typical three.
    Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Commonplace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commonplace. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.

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