A platitude [plat-i-tood] is a trite, meaningless, or prosaic statement, generally directed at quelling social, emotional, or cognitive unease. The word derives from ‘plat,’ French word for ‘flat.’ Platitudes are geared towards presenting a shallow, unifying wisdom over a difficult topic. However, they are too overused and general to be anything more than undirected statements with ultimately little meaningful contribution towards a solution.
Examples could be statements such as ‘Meet in the middle,’ ‘Everybody has a right to an opinion,’ ‘Everything happens for a reason,’ ‘It is what it is,’ and ‘Do what you can.’ Platitudes are generally a form of thought-terminating cliché.
The Daily Omnivore 
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