commonplace
Seen every day
Commonplace describes something ordinary, unremarkable, or frequently encountered: Cell phones were exotic in the 1990s but are commonplace today.
The word often implies something has become so familiar it no longer attracts notice.
As a noun, a commonplace is a trite observation or cliché—the kind of remark everyone makes: His speech was full of commonplaces about hard work and perseverance.
Commonplace, lacking excitement
- everydayOccurring each day
- routineRegular sequence of actions
- humdrumLacking variety or excitement
- unremarkableNot worthy of comment
pedestrian · workaday · run-of-the-mill · garden-variety · vanilla · plain · standard · normal
Tiresome lack of originality
- platitudeTrite, overused remark
- tritenessState of being overused
- hackneyedOverused and unoriginal
- overusedEmployed too frequently
trite · stale · worn-out · bromide · shopworn · threadbare · timeworn · unoriginal
Familiar to many
- recognizedPerceived as familiar
- establishedFormally set up
- householdDomestic unit of residents
- accustomedAdapted through habit
customary · conventional · traditional · habitual · expected · acknowledged · accepted · standard
Present in all places
- widespreadExisting across many places
- universalAffecting all equally
- pervasivePresent throughout, inescapable
- frequentHappening many times
prevailing · dominant · mainstream · everywhere · omnipresent · rampant · rife · epidemic
mundane
Commonplace, lacking excitement
unremarkable · pedestrian · workaday · run-of-the-mill · garden-variety · vanilla · plain · standard · normal · typical
banality
Tiresome lack of originality
overused · trite · stale · worn-out · bromide · shopworn · threadbare · timeworn · unoriginal · derivative
well-known
Familiar to many
- recognizedPerceived as familiar
- establishedFormally set up
- householdDomestic unit of residents
accustomed · customary · conventional · traditional · habitual · expected · acknowledged · accepted · standard · typical
ubiquitous
Present in all places
- widespreadExisting across many places
- universalAffecting all equally
- pervasivePresent throughout, inescapable
frequent · prevailing · dominant · mainstream · everywhere · omnipresent · rampant · rife · epidemic · general
journal
Record of daily events
- diaryPersonal daily record
- ledgerFinancial record book
- memorandumFormal internal correspondence
logbook · daybook · register · record · jotter · sketchbook · planner · notes · album · scrapbook
- clichescliche, platitude, bromide, tired phrase, worn phrase
- expressionsexpression, I love you, phrase, idioms, thank you
- sayingssayings, saying, proverb, proverbs, adage
- written worksessay, novel, anthologies, history books, letter
- beliefsbelief, beliefs, creed, creeds, faith
- empty talkidle talk, hot air, idle chatter, drivel, babble
commonplacerare
Seldom found or seen
uncommon · unusual · infrequent · exceptional · extraordinary
commonplaceextraordinary
Beyond what's typical
exceptional · remarkable · outstanding · phenomenal · marvelous
commonplaceoriginal
First or inventive
novel · unique · innovative · fresh · groundbreaking
- commonplace bookCurated collection of extracts