banal

[buh-nal, -nahl, beyn-l]

adjective

1. devoid of freshness or originality; hackneyed; trite.

   a banal and sophomoric treatment of courage on the frontier.

banal

/ bəˈnælɪtɪ, bəˈnɑːl /

adjective

1. lacking force or originality; trite; commonplace

Other Word Forms

• banality noun
• banally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of banal¹

First recorded in 1745–55; from French, Old French: “pertaining to a ban”; equivalent to ban ² + -al ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of banal¹

C18: from Old French: relating to compulsory feudal service, hence common to all, commonplace; from ban _ban ²

Synonym Study

See commonplace.

Example Sentences

Yet in extraordinary times the constant juxtaposition of the banal and the monstrous becomes surreal.

From Salon

Typically, our reasons for staying in a battle against crushing odds are soft, even banal, but universally defensible.

From Salon

But here in China - where almost half of all cars sold last year were electric - it's a banal reality.

From BBC

The closing section has the most Chuck, which makes it the most banal.

From Los Angeles Times

The prayers and programs mostly focused on banal and empty affirmations about being grateful, relieving stress, and sleeping better.

From Salon

Related Words

• bland 
• corny 
• dumb 
• hackneyed 
• mundane 
• stupid 
• trite 
• vapid