banality

noun

ba·​nal·​i·​ty bə-ˈna-lə-tē How to pronounce banality (audio) bā- How to pronounce banality (audio)
also ba-
plural banalities
Synonyms of banality
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
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.
But together, the whole is blander than the sum of its parts—a subtle banality humans can often implicitly sense. Sam MacDonald, Scientific American, 29 June 2026 Communion does him no favors, though, mostly in its sheer banality. Literary Hub, 25 June 2026 Here, Laura, a magazine writer in London, drifts through old friendships, failed romances, and the gothic banalities of family life. Air Mail, 20 June 2026 In the last few decades, that swagger seems to have collapsed under the weight of a tepid banality. Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for banality

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French banalité, from banal "available for general use, commonplace, banal" + -ité -ity

Note: The modern French word is probably an eighteenth-century coinage, and not continuous with Middle French bannalité "a feudal lord's right to extract usage fees, area under such a jurisdiction."

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of banality was in 1821

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Cite this Entry

“Banality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/banality. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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