platitudeplat‧i‧tude /ˈplætɪtjuːd $ -tuːd/ noun [countable] formal 
Word Origin
His excuse was the platitude ‘boys will be boys’.—platitudinous /ˌplætɪˈtjuːdɪnəs◂ $ -ˈtuː-/ adjective
Word OriginWORD ORIGINplatitude
ExamplesOrigin:
1800-1900 French plat ‘flat, dull’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- empty political platitudes
- Mr Gringold droned on, mouthing the usual platitudes about motivation and self-reliance.
- The management tried to satisfy staff with some platitudes about the need to make sacrifices for the benefit of the company.
- The marriage counsellor could only offer us a string of empty platitudes.
- All the foreign students sat together in the Student Union, at the same table, exchanging heavily accented platitudes.
- Charles took one look at the proffered platitudes, which he knew to be absurd, and set about writing an alternative.
- High-sounding jargon or pointless platitudes cut little ice when one is alert to the actual message being conveyed.
- I sense his slighted dignity and mouth some platitude about boys being boys the world over.
- Many transplant-zealots speak in slippery platitudes.
- That at least some of them do so is a platitude.
- Those who did believe me offered no solace; only sympathy and empty platitudes.
- What blessed relief from the platitudes.
Longman Language Activatora phrase or sentence that is well-known or often used► saying
a statement that has been made many times before and is not interesting or clever – used to show disapproval: a short sentence that contains advice, or says what is usually true in a particular situation. Sayings have usually been used for a long time: · 'You're only as old as you feel' -- that's one of my favourite sayings.old/famous/well-known saying: · The more often you play the flute, the better you'll get. Remember the old saying, practice makes perfect.· How many times have we heard the famous saying, 'Physician heal thyself'?as the saying goes (=according to a saying): · What followed, as the saying goes, shook the world.· Like father, like son, as the saying goes -- by the time Tim was eight, he was already a budding entrepreneur.
► proverb a well-known saying that gives advice or says something about human life, especially using words that represent a wider meaning: · Do you remember this old proverb: 'When poverty comes in the door, love flies out of the window'?Chinese/Arabic/French etc proverb: · An Irish proverb is relevant here -- 'You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather is.'cite/quote a proverb: · In reply, he quoted a Sanskrit proverb: 'Forgiveness is the ornament of the brave'.
► buzzword a word or phrase from one special area of knowledge that people suddenly start using a lot, especially because they think it means something important: · The big Internet buzzword at the moment is 'push technology'.· Customer-friendliness was the buzzword in British business circles.· 'Going snap' on a decision was the latest buzzword in our office.
► cliché a phrase that is used so often that it seems boring, annoying, or silly: · It's a cliché, I know, but the game isn't over till the final whistle blows.old/tired cliché: · At the risk of repeating an old cliché, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.become a cliché: · It's become a cliché to say that presidential candidates are being marketed like bars of soap or boxes of cereal.
► platitude a phrase that is so clearly true that it has no useful meaning and is therefore annoying, especially because the person using it seems insincere and unsympathetic: · The management tried to satisfy staff with some platitudes about the need to make sacrifices for the benefit of the company.empty platitude (=one that is meaningless): · The marriage counsellor could only offer us a string of empty platitudes.mouth/spout platitudes: · Mr Gringold droned on, mouthing the usual platitudes about motivation and self-reliance.
► quotation a sentence or phrase from a book, play, poem etc that is used to explain or show something: · If you do use quotations in your essay, select them carefully.· a dictionary of theatrical quotationsquotation from: · The book begins with a quotation from The Book of Common Prayer.attribute a quotation to somebody (=say that they are the first person to say it): · The quotation is attributed to Chu Hsi, an ancient Chinese philosopher.
► slogan a short phrase that is easy to remember, especially one that is used by advertisers, politicians, or entertainers: · Bloomingdale's has as its slogan 'Like no other store in the world'.· Young men risked their lives to daub buildings with anti-government slogans. slogan of: · 'Liberte, egalite, fraternite' was the slogan of the French Revolution.advertising/marketing/campaign slogan: · They've come up with a new advertising slogan for the product.
► catchphrase a short, well-known phrase used regularly by an entertainer or other public figure: · The public soon learned to associate the catchphrase 'Ooh, you are awful' with the inimitable Dick Emery.· His catchphrases like'What a peach of a shot' and 'That's a dream of a pass' are now part of tennis language.
► motto a word or phrase that expresses a person or organization's aims or beliefs: · The school's motto was 'Work hard and play hard'.· "All my life," said Sir Humphrey, "my motto has been 'aim high'."family motto: · The Mortimer family motto is inscribed above the door -- 'Humilitas'.
His excuse was the platitude ‘boys will be boys’.—platitudinous /ˌplætɪˈtjuːdɪnəs◂ $ -ˈtuː-/ adjective