banal

CEFRC1

/bəˈnɑːl/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Boring because it is ordinary and not original.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Relating to a type of feudal jurisdiction or service.

Examples

  • When it rains, you get wet. This is a banal truth.

  • He was asking banal questions.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
3
Parts of speech
1
Citations
4
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • /ˈbeɪnəl/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meaning

  1. Common in a boring way, to the point of being predictable; containing nothing new or fresh.

More examples

In context

  • I don't need your banal platitudes.

  • banal clichés

  • banal conversation

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

His speech was so blank that half the audience fell asleep from boredom.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

Borrowed from French banal (“held in common, relating to feudal service, by extension commonplace”), from Old French banel, related to Medieval Latin bannālis (“subject to feudal authority”), from Latin bannus (“jurisdiction”), both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *bannaną (“to order, summon, forbid”). Equivalent to ban + -al. See also ban, abandon.