Word
banal
Phoneticsba·nal
US/bəˈnɑɫ/
UK/bˈeɪnəl/
Definition
adj. relating to old laws where people had to use a lord's equipment, like a mill.
adj. relating to a type of feudal jurisdiction or compulsory service, such as the requirement for tenants to use the lord's mill.
Examples
“The movie has a banal plot that lacks any real tension.”
“The once-revolutionary design of the building now feels banal to modern architects who see it everywhere.”
“The critic argued that the novel's banal themes failed to engage a generation of readers who had grown weary of the same tired narratives.”
Examples
simple
“The movie has a banal plot that lacks any real tension.”
contextual
“The once-revolutionary design of the building now feels banal to modern architects who see it everywhere.”
complex
“The critic argued that the novel's banal themes failed to engage a generation of readers who had grown weary of the same tired narratives.”
Usage
In this sense, the word is strictly limited to historical and legal contexts regarding feudalism.
Real-World Examples
“The pursuit of fame for fame’s sake has become an almost banal pursuit in the attention economy.” “This seems to be a defining feature of today’s climate crisis; deadly for some, banal for others.” Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.