banality

noun

ba·​nal·​i·​ty bə-ˈna-lə-tē  bā- 

 also  ba-

plural banalities

1

: something that lacks originality, freshness, or novelty : something banal : commonplace

2

: the quality or state of lacking new or interesting qualities : the quality or state of being banal

Synonyms

• bromide
• chestnut
• cliché
• cliche
• commonplace
• groaner
• homily
• platitude
• shibboleth
• trope
• truism

Examples of banality in a Sentence

The trip offers an escape from the banalities of daily life.

We exchanged banalities about the weather.

The writing never rose above banality.

Recent Examples on the Web

Barton appears to enjoy juxtaposing the banality of Helen’s life as a wife and mother—flawlessly hosting her husband’s holiday work party, sticking jewels on a crown for a Nativity costume—with the extravagant action of her secret life. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 24 Dec. 2024

The language of war ranges from the tired banalities of militarist rhetoric to visceral combinations of horror, tenderness, and irony that produce memorable evocations of modern combat. —Karen Parker Lears, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024

Then there’s the huge tranche of footage filled with little banalities, like the regular ritual of producers collecting participants for organized trips to the bathroom, or the small areas of the lounges that rarely appear onscreen because they’re lined with baskets of personal items. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2024

Generally, the drama does spectacularly well with abiding by a primal sense of magical realism — the finding of wonderment in the banal and the insertion of banality into the wondrous. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French banalité, from banal "available for general use, commonplace, banal" + -ité -ity

Note: The modern French word is probably an eighteenth-century coinage, and not continuous with Middle French bannalité "a feudal lord's right to extract usage fees, area under such a jurisdiction."

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1