common

1 of 2

adjective

com·​mon ˈkä-mən How to pronounce common (audio)
1
a
: of or relating to a community at large : public
work for the common good
b
: known to the community
common nuisances
2
a
: belonging to or shared by two or more individuals or things or by all members of a group
a common friend
buried in a common grave
common interests
b
: belonging equally to two or more mathematical entities
triangles with a common base
c
: having two or more branches
common carotid artery
3
a
: occurring or appearing frequently : familiar
a common sight
b
: of the best known or most frequently seen kind
used especially of plants and animals
the common housefly
c
: vernacular sense 2
common names
4
a
: widespread, general
common knowledge
b
: characterized by a lack of privilege or special status
common people
a common laborer
c
: just satisfying accustomed criteria : elementary
common decency
5
a
: falling below ordinary standards : second-rate
Oh hard is the bed they have made him, / And common the blanket and cheap …A. E. Housman
b
: lacking refinement : coarse
said, in his common vulgar way, the city would have to lump itJ. K. Jerome
6
: denoting nominal relations by a single linguistic form that in a more highly inflected language might be denoted by two or more different forms
common gender
common case
7
: of, relating to, or being common stock
commonly adverb
commonness noun

common

2 of 2

noun

1
commons plural : the common people
2
commons plural in form but singular in construction : a dining hall
Students usually have their meals at the commons.
3
commons or Commons plural in form but singular or plural in construction
a
: the political group or estate comprising the commoners
b
: the parliamentary representatives of the commoners
4
: the legal right of taking a profit in another's land in common with the owner or others
5
: a piece of land subject to common use: such as
a
: undivided land used especially for pasture
b
: a public open area in a municipality
A food and jazz festival will be held at the town common.
6
a
: a religious service suitable for any of various festivals
7
Phrases
in common
: shared together
has a lot in common with his neighbors
Choose the Right Synonym for common

common, ordinary, plain, familiar, popular, vulgar mean generally met with and not in any way special, strange, or unusual.

common implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence

a common error
lacked common honesty

and may additionally suggest inferiority or coarseness.

common manners

ordinary stresses conformance in quality or kind with the regular order of things.

an ordinary pleasant summer day
a very ordinary sort of man

plain is likely to suggest homely simplicity.

plain hard-working people

familiar stresses the fact of being generally known and easily recognized.

a familiar melody

popular applies to what is accepted by or prevalent among people in general sometimes in contrast to upper classes or special groups.

a writer of popular romances

vulgar, otherwise similar to popular, is likely to carry derogatory connotations (as of inferiority or coarseness).

souvenirs designed to appeal to the vulgar taste

Examples of common in a Sentence

Adjective They have a common ancestor. The people on the island have a sense of common identity. It is common practice for one town's fire department to help another town when there is a big fire. Electric windows are a common feature in new cars. “Smith” is a common name. I think some of the most common flowers are also some of the prettiest. cures for the common cold Noun The campus has several dining commons.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Physiological impacts, such as elevated heart rate and difficulty managing stress, are also common. Jason Walker, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024 With no secrecy in how one voted, violence and intimidation became common, particularly in urban precincts. Jonathan W. White, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024
Noun
Most harvesting takes place in Appalachia’s long-enduring forest commons – forests across the region that historically were managed and used by local residents. Justine Law, The Conversation, 13 Sep. 2024 Like the sun itself, energy is the ultimate global common. André Hoffmann and Peter Vanham, TIME, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for common 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'common.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English commun, from Anglo-French, from Latin communis — more at mean

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Time Traveler
The first known use of common was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near common

Cite this Entry

“Common.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/common. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

common

1 of 2 adjective
com·​mon ˈkäm-ən How to pronounce common (audio)
1
: relating or belonging to or used by everyone : public
work for the common good
2
: belonging to or shared by two or more individuals or by the members of a group or set
a common ancestor
3
a
: widespread sense 1, general
facts of common knowledge
b
: adequate
common decency
4
: occurring or appearing frequently : familiar
a common sight
5
: not above the average in rank, merit, or social position
the common people
6
a
: falling below ordinary standards : second-rate
commonly adverb
commonness noun

common

2 of 2 noun
1
plural : the common people
2
: a piece of land that is open to common use especially for pasture
often used in plural

Medical Definition

common

adjective
com·​mon ˈkäm-ən How to pronounce common (audio)
: formed of or dividing into two or more branches
the common facial vein
common iliac vessels

Legal Definition

common

1 of 2 adjective
com·​mon
1
a
: of or relating to a community at large : public
common defense
b
: known to the community
a common thief
2
: belonging to or shared by two or more persons or things or by all members of a group
when the insured and the beneficiary perish in a common disaster
common areas of the building
3
: of or relating to common stock
common shares

common

2 of 2 noun
1
plural capitalized : house of commons
2
: the legal right of taking a profit in another's land in common with the owner or others
the common of estovers
the common of pasture
3
: a piece of land subject to common use: as
a
: land jointly owned and used especially for pasture
b
: a public open area in a municipality
4
: a condition of shared ownership : a condition in which a right is shared with an interest held by another person
held the estate in common
see also tenancy in common at tenancy compare severalty sense 1
5
: common stock at stock

More from Merriam-Webster on common

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