platitude

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Quotations 1.3.2 Synonyms 1.3.3 Translations 2 Dutch 2.1 Pronunciation 2.2 Etymology 2.3 Noun

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From French, from Old French plat ‘flat’.

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈplætɪtjuːd/, /ˈplætɪtuːd/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

platitude (plural platitudes)

1. An often-quoted saying that is supposed to be meaningful but has become unoriginal or hackneyed through overuse; a cliché.
   • 1918 — Algernon Blackwood, The Garden of Survival, ch XI

     Beauty, I suppose, opens the heart, extends the consciousness. It is a platitude, of course.

2. Unoriginality; triteness.
3. A claim that is trivially true, to the point of being uninteresting.

[edit] Quotations

• For examples of the usage of this term see the citations page.

[edit] Synonyms

• cliché
• See also Wikisaurus:saying

[edit] Translations

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[edit] Dutch

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /plɑtiˈtydə/

[edit] Etymology

From French, from Old French plat ‘flat’.

[edit] Noun

platitude f. (plural platitudes, diminutive platituudje, diminutive plural platituudjes)

1. Platitude, cliché.