banality
noun
ba·nal·i·ty
bə-ˈna-lə-tē 
bā-
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
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
There are quick but indelible glimpses of signs for the whites-only ticket booth, waiting room, and rest room; when Stack, seeing a white woman nearby, orders Sammie to avert his eyes and walk away, the screen shivers with the ambient terror underlying the banalities of segregation.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2025
And as his fellow nominees have trudged through the Q&As, Chalamet has largely eschewed the traditional banalities of awards season.
—Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
Yesterday’s pangrams were attainability, banality and inability.
—Benjamin Mueller, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
The scene that follows—an intense grief followed by a quick return to the dull and depraved routine of trying to score their next hit—captures both the extremism and the banality of addiction and homelessness.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banality
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2025
And as his fellow nominees have trudged through the Q&As, Chalamet has largely eschewed the traditional banalities of awards season.
—Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 14 Feb. 2025
Yesterday’s pangrams were attainability, banality and inability.
—Benjamin Mueller, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
The scene that follows—an intense grief followed by a quick return to the dull and depraved routine of trying to score their next hit—captures both the extremism and the banality of addiction and homelessness.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banality
Cite this Entry
“Banality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/banality. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share