1 commonplace | Definition of commonplace

commonplace

noun
com·​mon·​place | \ ˈkĂ€-mən-ˌplās How to pronounce commonplace (audio) \

Definition of commonplace

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 archaic : a striking passage entered in a commonplace book
2a : an obvious or trite comment : truism It is a commonplace that a fool and his money are soon parted.
b : something commonly found A smartphone is a commonplace.

commonplace

adjective

Definition of commonplace (Entry 2 of 2)

: commonly found or seen : ordinary, unremarkable a commonplace occurrence the large mergers that had become commonplace Computers are commonplace in classrooms.

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Other Words from commonplace

Adjective

commonplaceness noun

Examples of commonplace in a Sentence

Noun

It is a commonplace that we only use a small part of our brain's capacity. We now accept cell phones and laptop computers as commonplaces of everyday life.

Adjective

Drug use has become commonplace at rock concerts. He photographed commonplace objects like lamps and bowls.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Many activists have come to view Hong Kong's international airport as something of a safe protest space away from the streets, where clashes between demonstrators and police have become commonplace. Tara John, CNN, "Why Hong Kong is protesting," 13 Aug. 2019 With footballers’ ever-growing power over their clubs, extreme actions to ensure their demands are met, such as refusing to train or travel with the rest of the squad, are becoming commonplace. SI.com, "4 Times Clubs Were Right to Deny Their Superstars’ Transfer Request," 2 Aug. 2019 The big question, though, is whether this kind of extreme summer melt will soon become commonplace. Alejandra Borunda, National Geographic, "A heat wave is turning Greenland’s ice to slush. That's bad news.," 1 Aug. 2019 Her point, rather, is that this skill is becoming commonplace. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, "Is the Internet Making Writing Better?," 26 July 2019 In some heavily minority urban areas, the rate of children born to unmarried mothers reaches an astronomical 80 percent, but this is becoming commonplace in once-traditional working-class-white areas as well. Joel Kotkin, National Review, "The Return to Serfdom," 25 July 2019 Later, officers in riot gear forcibly cleared protesters from a suburban shopping mall in the kind of chaotic scene that is becoming commonplace here. Shibani Mahtani, BostonGlobe.com, "Hong Kong protests expand in geography and goals," 14 July 2019 Tech outages have become commonplace in recent months, with companies like Facebook, Reddit, and, most recently, Twitter reporting issues. Julie Verhage, Fortune, "Stripe Outage Smacked Businesses for Two Hours," 11 July 2019 Since Columbine, mass shootings at schools have seemingly become commonplace. Sheila Vilvens, Cincinnati.com, "Butler County schools, multiple agencies to train for active shooter," 15 May 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Although some teams shy away from Toradol and other powerful painkillers, the ritual of players lining up for a pregame syringe has been commonplace for decades. SI.com, "A History of Football in 100 Objects," 28 Aug. 2019 At the time, police raids on gay bars were commonplace. Nick Ramsey, NBC News, "Drag's 'power of rebellion' is keeping Stonewall legacy alive," 26 June 2019 As electric and pneumatic screwdrivers became more commonplace, the popularity of screws grew exponentially. Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "When To Use Nails Vs. Screws," 6 Aug. 2019 As EVs based on Li-Ion batteries become more commonplace, this issue will acquire greater urgency. Niharika Sharma, Quartz India, "EVs are hardly the magic wand to fight India’s pollution woes," 30 July 2019 Where everyone knows everyone, courtesy becomes commonplace. Bruce Dale, National Geographic, "Adored, neglected, and restored: A 1968 Nat Geo feature explored Notre Dame," 17 Apr. 2019 But mass shootings have become so commonplace that some companies are now including them in the business risk sections of their annual reports. Ellen Florian, Fortune, "Casinos and Restaurants Are Now Listing ‘Active Shooters’ as Risk Factors in Their Annual Reports," 8 Aug. 2019 Barack Obama is calling on all Americans to hold their political leaders accountable for failing to pass gun laws that would prevent at least some of the tragedies that have become so commonplace in the US. Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "Obama’s statement on mass shootings is a message for Republicans, Democrats, and the world," 5 Aug. 2019 Scrolling through phones while dining, in meetings, and even while actively speaking to other people, is so commonplace that at this point there is little cultural abhorrence surrounding their use in almost any daily activity. J.q. Louise, WSJ, "The Theater Is the Phone Addict’s Last Solace," 15 Apr. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'commonplace.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of commonplace

Noun

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1609, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for commonplace

Noun and Adjective

translation of Latin locus communis widely applicable argument, translation of Greek koinos topos

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More Definitions for commonplace

commonplace

noun

English Language Learners Definition of commonplace

 (Entry 1 of 2)

formal
: an idea, expression, remark, etc., that is not new or interesting
: something that happens or appears in many places and is not unusual