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Is there any one word which can describe everyday things?

By this, I mean things we commonly regard as things most people do every day, like taking a shower, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, going to work or school, and eating dinner.

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10 Answers 10

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"Quotidian" is a good word, although it may be a little too highbrow.

quo·tid·i·an /kwōˈtidēən/ adjective -Google

Of or occurring every day; daily. Ordinary or everyday, especially when mundane.

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    Well, if more people use it, it will stop seeming so highbrow! May 15, 2011 at 19:16
  • Perfect! Thank you! That was exactly what I was looking for :)
    – leifericf
    May 16, 2011 at 1:44
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    When I saw this question I immediately thought of the Spanish word cotidiano, which is very common in that language. May 16, 2011 at 8:34
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routine:

noun 1. a customary or regular course of procedure. 2. commonplace tasks, chores, or duties as must be done regularly or at specified intervals; typical or everyday activity: the routine of an office. 3. regular, unvarying, habitual, unimaginative, or rote procedure.

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The word mundane can be appropriate here, as it can be used to refer to things that are common or ordinary. Brushing your teeth or taking a shower are indeed mundane activities. Note that this can have a bit of a negative connotation, suggesting that the activities are common enough to be boring. If you want to avoid the negative connotation, routine (as suggested by gbutters) may be a better choice.

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a word to describe everyday things. Things is about as general a word as I can think of...how about

commonplace

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If you mean activities, you could use workaday.

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    Welcome to EL&U. We appreciate links to sources which support your answer. :-) Jan 2, 2014 at 10:32
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I believe that this word greatly fits the definition of "everyday things."

Commodities: Useful or valuable items. Usually very important necessities for life such as water or time, but its connotation fits very well.

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    Welcome to EL&U. While your answer is fine, it would be improved by adding a link to your source, so that others can learn from it too.
    – user63230
    Apr 22, 2014 at 6:12
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the minutiae of everyday life?

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You can call that your daily routine. And we know that a routine is a usual or fixed way of doing things that are done regularly at a specified intervals.

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  • It would be good to cite a reference rather than letting this nice answer stand here as though it were just your own opinion.
    – Xanne
    May 14, 2017 at 22:53
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May I have the opportunity to add my version of the (not so) trite word:

Hackneyed

Also consider a word called:

Chore

usage: "..my daily chores"

Not to mention that the accepted answer is laconic in that I personally prefer its usage.

"Jim got so engrossed in watching the soccer match that he forgot the quotidian task of watering the plants."

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Daily chores might fit well here.

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