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GRE vocabulary

platitude

nounHigh-frequency wordMore P words

a trite or overused statement presented as if it were original

Word origin: From French plat, flat or dull.

In a sentence

Platitude in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing platitude in a sentence.

The speech was a string of platitudes that offered no real guidance.

The keynote dissolved into platitudes about teamwork and never addressed the actual crisis.

Synonyms
clichetruismbanalitycommonplace
Antonyms

None listed.

Usage & nuance

Using “platitude” well

A platitude is a stale truism offered as if it were fresh wisdom; the word implies the speaker is being trite or evasive.

Common questions

Questions about “platitude

Platitude (noun) means a trite or overused statement presented as if it were original
Here is platitude used in an example sentence: "The speech was a string of platitudes that offered no real guidance." Another example: "The keynote dissolved into platitudes about teamwork and never addressed the actual crisis."
Common synonyms for platitude include cliche, truism, banality, commonplace.
On the GRE, platitude clusters with cliche, truism, banality, and commonplace in Sentence Equivalence.
Yes. Platitude is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

Learn words the way the GRE tests them.

Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.