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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
Beau McCall understands the affective power of buttons—these commonplace household notions have captured his imagination for decades. Alex Jovanovich, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026 Climate scientists warn that extreme heat will become more commonplace across southern Europe as a result of global warming. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2025
Noun
Talking about struggles, both past and present, can make the conversation commonplace and combat some of the fear that may fester in an indecisive personality. Janine Schindler, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025 And with a rise in pro salaries making skipping college more commonplace for America’s teenage prospects, the landscape has further shifted and opened up. Molly Geary, Sportico.com, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for commonplace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commonplace
Adjective
  • This single fine is close to the normal total of $8 million to $10 million in all fines that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration hands out each year.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Trump, as is his want, is just doing the normal thing without the usual white niceties that come with imperialist machinations.
    Elie Mystal, Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Luxury brands have sought to distance themselves from the increasingly shabby in-store experience and ubiquitous mark-downs at department stores.
    Phil Wahba, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2025
  • This particular mashup hardly counts as culturally ubiquitous in 2025.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.
    Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Adjective
  • Filming the stairs and seeing the response affirmed that her experience was, in fact, out of the ordinary.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
  • That means ordinary users cannot easily guess when Gen AI is reliable.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • As usual, Coon thrives in ambiguity, layering a seemingly straightforward woman with depth.
    Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
  • As a result, Musick elected to bench her usual rotation for much of the second half.
    Ethan Westerman, Arkansas Online, 8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The first turned a fourth-quarter fumble into a 59-yard score when Achane burst through a tired, and seemingly defeated Buffalo defensive front and outsprinted the Bills’ entire secondary to the end zone.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 9 Nov. 2025
  • But that feels like a tired, outdated characterisation.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Warfare Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s Warfare is an admirable attempt to counter the truism that there’s no such thing as an anti-war movie — that all war movies, however gruesome or wrenching, effectively (and often unwittingly) wind up glamorizing combat to some degree.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
  • Kemp does warn his readers to be skeptical of truisms about the nature of history and the odds of apocalypse.
    Linda Kinstler, The Atlantic, 1 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • The company intends to move away from the low-volume manufacturing typical of the aviation industry.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
  • The project could also bypass typical rezoning requirements, allowing building to occur in agricultural and natural areas.
    Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Commonplace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commonplace. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.

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