What does "commonplace" mean?
Commonplace: An idea or expression wanting originality or interest; a trite or customary remark; a platitude.
Additional senses
- 2.A memorandum; something to be frequently consulted or referred to. Whatever, in my reading, occurs concerning this our fellow creature, I do never fail to set it down by way of commonplace. Swift. Commonplace book, a book in which records are made of things to be remembered.
- 3.To enter in a commonplace book, or to reduce to general heads. Felton.
- 4.To utter commonplaces; to indulge in platitudes. [Obs.] Bacon.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17 · Modified: 2026-07-17