Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PLATITUDE
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pronounce
PLATITUDE:
Say it "PLAD uh tood."
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connect this word to others:
Remember Polonius, from Hamlet? The guy who spouted stuff like this?
"Neither a borrower nor a lender be."
"To thine own self be true."
"Brevity is the soul of wit."
"Though this be madness, yet there is method in't."
"Clothes make the man."
"Old friends are the best friends."
Annoying, right? Even back in Shakespeare's time, those phrases were overused and unoriginal.
Well, we know how things ended up for Polonius.
So, don't be a Polonius. Don't be a platitudinarian: someone who constantly spews platitudes, or flat, trite, boring statements.
You can almost see inside the word platitude how it means "a flat statement"--that is, a statement that seems flat and lifeless because it's so old and worn-out and unoriginal. So you can see why it looks so much like the word plat___, a flatness in progress, or a flattening out of development. Can you recall that one?
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definition:
In Old French, plat means "flat" and platitude means "flatness of thought, dullness of thought, unoriginality of thought."
In English, very similarly, the noun "platitude" means "dullness and lack of originality, usually in speech or writing."
And most of the time, we use "platitude" as a countable noun. It means "a thing people say or write that's dull, common, and unoriginal."
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Noun, usually the countable kind ("I'm tired of their platitudes") but sometimes the uncountable kind ("The speech was nothing but platitude").
Other forms:
The plural is "platitudes."
For an adjective, take your pick: "platitudinal" sounds formal, but the rest sound ridiculous, which could be exactly the tone you want: "platitudinous," "platitudinary," or "platitudinarian."
But wait, there's more!
You can platitudinize. And if you do, you're a platitudinarian, or a platitudinizer. You're guilty of platitudinizing, or platitudinization.
Clearly, when we've invented a word for an annoying habit, we absolutely run with it.
how to use it:
"Platitude" is a formal word with a harsh tone. No one likes listening to platitudes--and no one finds them wise, fresh, or interesting.
So, if we refer to statements as platitudes, we're complaining about them and yawning at them at the same time. "She speaks only in platitudes." "His whole dumb campaign is based on platitudes." "The movie is a drizzle of platitudes (New York Times)." "Barely being able to read lies, distortions, and platitudes from a teleprompter IS NOT PRESIDENTIAL (Douglas Emhoff)."
You might also say that something is not a platitude: that some remark or reminder offers real value or insight.
examples:
"'Pleased to meet you, Squire Julian... At least you seem to lead a peaceful life,' he said hopefully.
'Oh, spare me your platitudes, mouse,' Julian replied in a world-weary voice."
— Brian Jacques, Redwall, 1986
"She kept the worst review she ever received, a scathing response to a grant proposal... It included comments that her application was incomprehensible and filled with platitudes."
— Emily Sohn, Nature, 20 December 2019
has this page helped you understand "platitude"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "platitude" without saying "cliché" or "trite comment."
try it out:
"Thank you for your service."
"I'm sorry for your loss."
"You've been a wonderful audience."
"Have a nice day."
"It was a pleasure to meet you."
Pick one of the statements above. Talk about when it might sound like a platitude--and when it might sound genuine.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for November is "SpongeBob Shakespeare."
Check out the goofy quote below. Is it from SpongeBob Squarepants, or is it a modern-English version of a quote from Shakespeare?
I'll list the answer at the bottom of each issue. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
"Y'all better apologize, or I’ll be on you like ugly on an ape."
review this word:
A. ONE-SIDED.
B. DOUBLE-BARRELED.
C. THREE-DIMENSIONAL.
2. They need funding, not just _____, and platitudes.
A. thoughts, prayers
B. participants, leaders
C. air time, billboards, public approval
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
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Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Remember Polonius, from Hamlet? The guy who spouted stuff like this?
In Old French, plat means "flat" and platitude means "flatness of thought, dullness of thought, unoriginality of thought."
Part of speech:
"Platitude" is a formal word with a harsh tone. No one likes listening to platitudes--and no one finds them wise, fresh, or interesting.
"'Pleased to meet you, Squire Julian... At least you seem to lead a peaceful life,' he said hopefully.
Explain the meaning of "platitude" without saying "cliché" or "trite comment."
"Thank you for your service."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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