banal

Borrowed from French banal (“held in common, relating to feudal service, by extension commonplace”), from Old French banel, related to Medieval Latin bannālis (“subject to feudal authority”), from Latin bannus (“jurisdiction”), both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *bannaną (“to order, summon, forbid”). Equivalent to ban +‎ -al. See also ban, abandon.

• IPA^(key): /bəˈnɑːl/, IPA^(key): /ˈbeɪnəl/, IPA^(key): /bəˈnæl/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːl, -eɪnəl, -æl

banal (comparative more banal or banaler, superlative most banal or banalest)

1. Common in a boring way, to the point of being predictable; containing nothing new or fresh.

   Synonyms: everyday, prosaic; see also Thesaurus:hackneyed, Thesaurus:boring

   Antonyms: new, original

   • 2013, John Carney, Begin Again, spoken by Dan (Mark Ruffalo):

     One of the most banal scenes is suddenly invested with so much meaning! All these banalities - They're suddenly turned into these… these beautiful, effervescent pearls. From Music.

2. (uncommon, historical) Relating to a type of feudal jurisdiction or service.
   • 1926, Thomas Guérin, Feudal Canada: The Story of the Seigniories of New France, page 72:

     They arrived in 1732, and were distributed gratis to the more important banal mills.

   • 1984, C. Warren Hollister, “War and Diplomacy in the Anglo-Norman world: the reign of Henry I”, in Anglo-Norman Studies VI: Proceedings of the Battle Conference, 1983, page 79:

     French historians have viewed these policies as efforts to replace the banal authority inherited from the Carolingians […]

   • 2002, Wim Blockmans; Peter Hoppenbrouwers, Introduction to Medieval Europe 300–1500, page 138:

     To what extent were banal lords accountable to a prince or a king for their unrestricted exercise of public authority?

• banality
• banalize
• banally

• banal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• banal in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911

• Alban, Balan, Blaan, Laban, Nabal, alban, laban, labna, nabal, nabla

From Proto-Philippine *bənər, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bənər. Compare Kapampangan banal, Masbatenyo banal, and Tagalog banal.

• Hyphenation: ba‧nal
• IPA^(key): /baˈnal/

banál

1. pious; devout

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

banal m

1. bramble
2. broom (a plant, sp. Genista)

From French banal.

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /bəˈnal/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /baˈnal/

banal (masculine and feminine plural banals)

1. banal (common in a boring way)

• “banal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “banal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
• “banal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “banal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

From ban +‎ -al, related to Medieval Latin bannālis, from bannus.

• IPA^(key): /ba.nal/

• audio

  (file)

• Homophones: banale, banals, banales

banal (feminine banale, masculine plural banals, feminine plural banales)

1. banal; commonplace

banal (feminine banale, masculine plural banaux, feminine plural banales)

1. (law) public
2. (historical, relational) of facilities owned by feudal lords

   un four banal, un moulin banal

   a commonplace oven, a commonplace mill

• banalité

• “banal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
• Banalité (droit seigneurial) on the French Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^fr

• Alban

Borrowed from French banal, from Medieval Latin bannalis, from bannum.

• IPA^(key): /baˈnaːl/
• Rhymes: -aːl

• Audio

  (file)

banal (strong nominative masculine singular banaler, comparative banaler, superlative am banalsten)

1. banal

• “banal” in Duden online
• “banal” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

From Malay banal, from Dutch banaal, from French banal, from Medieval Latin bannalis, from bannum.

• IPA^(key): [ˈbanal]
• Hyphenation: ba‧nal

banal

1. banal (common)

   Synonym: biasa

2. rude

   Synonym: kasar

• “banal” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.

From Proto-Philippine *bənər, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bənər. Compare Bikol Central banal, Masbatenyo banal, and Tagalog banal.

banál

1. holy; sacred

banal (masculine banalen, neuter banaalt, comparative méi banal, superlative am banaalsten)

1. banal

From Dutch banaal, from French banal, from Medieval Latin bannalis, from bannum.

• IPA^(key): /banal/
• Rhymes: -anal, -nal, -al

banal (Jawi spelling بانل‎)

1. banal (common)

   Synonym: basi

• “banal” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.

From Proto-Philippine *bənər, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bənər.

banál

1. holy; divine

• Rhymes: -al, -aw
• Hyphenation: ba‧nal

banal m or f (plural banais)

1. banal (common)
2. hackneyed (repeated too often)

   Synonyms: batido, trivial

From French banal.

banal m or n (feminine singular banală, masculine plural banali, feminine and neuter plural banale)

1. commonplace

• banalitate

From French banal, from Medieval Latin bannalis, from bannum.

• IPA^(key): /baˈnal/ [baˈnal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: ba‧nal

banal (plural banales)

1. banal

• “banal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

From Proto-Philippine *bənər, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bənər. Compare Bikol Central banal, Kapampangan banal, Masbatenyo banal, Malay benar.

• Hyphenation: ba‧nal
• IPA^(key): /baˈnal/, [bɐˈnal]

banál (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜈᜎ᜔)

1. holy; sacred; blessed

   Synonyms: sagrado, santo

2. virtuous; righteous
3. pious; devout

• “banal”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila: Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2018

Borrowed from French banal.

• IPA^(key): [bɑˈnɑl]
• Hyphenation: ba‧nal

banal

1. banal

• banallik