Prosaic

adjective

Possessing a tedious quality, often regarding frequency of occurrence
Consisting of plain or pragmatic features
Characterized by the style, form, or language of prose (and not poetry)

Usage

Most of us live prosaic, ordinary lives - traversing our days without anything terribly exciting happening. However, when we stop to think about it, prosaic writing, also known as prose, can often be just as, if not more, exhilarating than something written with more "style" like poetry or song. Of course, not all of us are meant to become writers, but if we were to look at our lives from a different point of view, we very likely might find something that would make excellent reading material!

The word prosaic usually describes something that is common or quotidian. Many of the mundane activities we perform are often seen as dull or boring, like getting ready for work or cleaning our room. These ordinary activities usually require little to no thinking, as we have repeated them so many times that we could probably do them in our sleep. A young boy's nightly routine could most definitely be described as prosaic not only because it occurs everyday, but also because it has become habitually monotonous. Though prosaic happenings tend to become tiresome, they do not always need to be. When we notice the different sights and sounds that seem to fade into the background, our morning walks can quickly become very stimulating!

Something doesn't have to happen everyday to be classified as prosaic. The word can also describe a person, thing, or idea that is bland or unoriginal. For example, a lackluster response or an unimaginative description could be labeled as prosaic. Similar to how food without seasoning satisfies our appetite and not our taste buds, a prosaic explanation is straightforward and to the point, lacking the "frills" of emotion or beautiful language. Sometimes, this prosaic quality is perfect when we want no-nonsense information, but it can be useful and inspiring to spice things up a bit every once in a while.

Finally, prosaic can sometimes denote the characteristics of the type of writing from which it is based: prose. In contrast to many forms of poetry, prose often consists of everyday language and style, such as is found in an autobiography or journal entry. A student's essay about Adventures of Huckleberry Finn would be an example of prosaic writing, even though the story's events are anything but dull! The majority of our written communication is prosaic, unless, of course, we enjoy decorating our letters with ornate language. However, just because prosaic writing isn't stylized or artistic like poetry, doesn't mean it can't be fun to read!

Example: The prosaic life of an indoor cat seems quite relaxing.

Example: The professor's lecture on MLA formatting was prosaic at best.

Example: The student had to write a prosaic account of his day.

Origin

The word prosaic originally came from the Latin prosaicus, meaning "in or of prose." First used in the 15th century, prosaic denoted the characteristics of prose writing until the word's meaning expanded to describe something common or dull about 200 years later. Although prosaic writing is often far from boring, native speakers must have seen the connection between "normal" or everyday language and some of their routine activities.

Derivative Words

Prosaical: This adjective can be used interchangeably with prosaic.

Example: Prosaical houses line the acres of the development.

Prosaically: This adverb describes a state or action that is done in an uninteresting or artless manner.

Example: Stuck in a creative funk, the artist prosaically moved his pen back and forth.

Prosaicness: This noun refers to the quality of being prosaic.

Example: Grandpa's lectures could easily reach the height of prosaicness.

In Literature

From Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of Four:

I cannot live without brainwork. What else is there to live for? Stand at the window here. Was ever such a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts across the duncoloured houses. What could be more hopelessly prosaic and material?

Here, the genius Sherlock Holmes is explaining to Doctor Watson that without intellectual stimulation, life is simply meaningless, not to mention incredibly boring. As he looks out of the window, Holmes finds the world around him prosaic, failing to interest and excite him.

Mnemonic

A prosaic answer seems prepared and formulaic.
A vivid mosaic is far from prosaic.