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banality

 - 4 dictionary results

ba⋅nal

  [buh-nal, -nahl, beyn-l]
Use banality in a Sentence
–adjective
devoid of freshness or originality; hackneyed; trite: a banal and sophomoric treatment of courage on the frontier.
Origin:
1745–55; < F; OF: pertaining to a ban (see ban 2 , -al 1 )

Related forms:
ba⋅nal⋅i⋅ty  [buh-nal-i-tee, bey-] , noun
ba⋅nal⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
See commonplace.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To banality
ba·nal·i·ty   (bə-nāl'ĭ-tē, bā-)   
n.   pl. ba·nal·i·ties

  1. The condition or quality of being banal; triviality: The banality of the speaker's remarks put the audience to sleep.

  2. Something that is trite, obvious, or predictable; a commonplace: Television commercials are full of banalities.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

banal 
"trite, commonplace," 1840, from Fr. banal, adj. form of ban "decree, legal control" (see ban (v.)). Originally designating things like ovens or mills that belonged to feudal serfs, or else compulsory military service; in either case generalized through "open to everyone" to "commonplace, ordinary," to "trite, petty."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ba·nal
Pronunciation: b&-'nal, ba-, -'nol; bA-'nal; 'bAn-&l
Function: adjective
: of a common or ordinary kind<banal skin organisms> banal inflammation>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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