Platitudinous

Platitudinous is an adjective used to describe language that is saturated with platitudes—overly familiar, insipid, or hackneyed statements that express general truths without addressing specifics. Such language tends to feel conventional, unoriginal, and emotionally pallid.

The word derives from platitude (from French platitude, from plat “flat”), with the suffix -ous forming the adjective. The sense is “having the quality of being flat or dull.”

Platitudinous language appears in writing, speech, journalism, and public relations. It is often criticized for substituting rhetorical comfort for analysis or evidence. In literature, a platitudinous passage may undermine argument; in politics or corporate messaging, it may be used to project reassurance while avoiding specifics. Common examples include phrases like “it is what it is” or “everything happens for a reason.”

A platitude is a banal or obvious statement; platitudinous describes the quality of language that consists of platitudes. It is closely related to synonyms such as cliché, banality, truism, and bromide, though platitudinous emphasizes the overall repetitive dullness of discourse rather than a single statement.

See also: platitude, cliché, truism, bromide.