trite

• enPR: trīt, IPA^(key): /tɹaɪt/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (General Australian):

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• Rhymes: -aɪt

From Latin trītus "worn out," a form of the verb terō (“I wear away, wear out”).

trite (comparative triter, superlative tritest)

1. Often in reference to a word or phrase: used so many times that it is commonplace, or no longer interesting or effective; worn out, hackneyed.
   • 1897, W. B. Kimberly, History of West Australia : A Narrative of Her Past together with Biographies of Her Leading Men:

     It is a trite saying in a young country that anyone starting out in life with the determination to become wealthy will have his wish gratified.

   • 1994, Anthony Bergin, “The High Seas Regime – Pacific Trends and Developments”, in James Crawford, Donald R. Rothwell, editors, The Law of the Sea in the Asian Pacific Region: Developments and Prospects, Dordrecht: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, →ISBN, page 183:

     It is trite history – and trite law – to say that the law of the sea since that time [World War II] reflects a history of coastal State expansion.

   • 2007, Danielle Corsetto, Girls with Slingshots: 267‎:

     McPedro the cactus: How to woo a woman! On yehr fahrst date, don’t bring her cut flowers! That’s inhumane! And trite!

2. (law) So well established as to be beyond debate: trite law.
   • 2017, Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Taucar v Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, 2017 ONSC 2604:

     It is trite to say that the mere fact that a decision does not favour the applicant or that the applicant disagrees with the decision does not establish that the decision is tainted with bias.

• See also Thesaurus:hackneyed

• cliché

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

trite (plural trites)

1. A denomination of coinage in ancient Greece equivalent to one third of a stater.

• tetri, titer, titre

trite

1. feminine plural of trito

• retti, ritte, tetri

trīte

1. vocative masculine singular of trītus

• “trite”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• trite in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Compare Tocharian A trit

trite

1. third