commonplace

Happening often or found in many places.

• Online shopping is commonplace.
• Such delays became commonplace last winter.
• Electric cars are increasingly commonplace in our city.

Similar words: common, frequent, widespread

Opposites: rare, unusual

Common phrases: become commonplace, increasingly commonplace, commonplace practice

Ordinary and lacking anything special or interesting.

• The room had a commonplace design.
• She turned commonplace objects into beautiful sculptures.
• His ideas seemed rather commonplace.

Similar words: ordinary, unremarkable, uninteresting

Opposites: remarkable, extraordinary

Common phrases: commonplace ideas, commonplace objects, commonplace design, commonplace appearance

Something ordinary that people often do or experience.

• Long delays are a commonplace here.
• What once seemed magical is now a commonplace.
• The book examines the commonplaces of family life.

How to use it: a commonplace of something (Long journeys are a commonplace of modern life.)

Similar words: everyday occurrence, ordinary thing

Common phrases: a commonplace, everyday commonplace, commonplace of life

An idea or statement repeated so often that it says nothing new or interesting.

• His speech contained only commonplaces.
• She repeated the commonplace that money cannot buy happiness.
• The essay offers fresh insights instead of tired commonplaces.

Similar words: cliché, platitude, truism

Common phrases: repeat a commonplace, empty commonplace, tired commonplace

To collect passages from your reading in a personal notebook.

• She liked to commonplace while reading.
• He commonplaced passages from several poets.
• Students were encouraged to commonplace regularly in their notebooks.

Common phrases: commonplace regularly, commonplace a passage, commonplace while reading