Words / C2

b-uh-NAL-uh-tee/bəˈnæləti/

A banality is a trite, obvious remark, or the quality of being dull and unoriginal: a banality about teamwork, sink into banality. Banal (already in the dictionary) is the adjective. Platitude, cliché, trite, and hackneyed (already in the dictionary) are the close family of stale phrases; commonplace (already in the dictionary) is ordinary, not always stale. Do not file a slogan as a methods comment.

Meaning

The quality of being ordinary and uninteresting; a trite remark.

Examples

• “A banality about “world-leading” is not a methods comment.”
• “Banal is the adjective (already in C1). A platitude is a stale moral (already in C1). Cliché and trite are the tired phrase and its flavour (already in C1). Hackneyed is overused (already in C1). A short true sentence can still be fresh. A ranking chorus that never states the n is noise. Write the number; leave the motto.”

Good to know

A trite remark; dull ordinariness. Everyday: cliché / platitude (already in this dictionary). Adjective: banal (already in C1). Contrast: commonplace (ordinary — already in C1). A slogan is not a finding.

Near in meaning

platitude, cliché, triteness, commonplace

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