common

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

c

: house of commons

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

b

: ordinary sense 3

7

: common stock

see also:

in common

Synonyms of common

• public
• populace
• people
• crowd
• commoners
• mass

Examples of common in a Sentence

The campus has several dining commons.

Recent Examples on the Web

In America, little remains of what used to be called the public commons—the essential parts of life organized for mutual benefit rather than profit extraction. —Chris Murphy, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026

According to Damon, his best buddy even saved him from getting beat up on the Cambridge common. —Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026

There will be a view of the river from the commons and interior wall graphics will illustrate the theme of the design, which incorporates the concepts of earth, air, water and fire. —Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026

The era of Hormuz as a global commons — open, unpriced, ungoverned — may be over not because one side won, but because both sides have found the new arrangement useful. —Wael Mahdi, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Phrases Containing common

• by common consent
• common carrier
• common cattle grub
• common cold
• common consent
• common courtesy
• common denominator
• common difference
• common divisor
• common dormouse
• common fraction
• common good
• common ground
• common knowledge
• common-law
• common-law marriage
• common logarithm
• common market
• common measure
• common merganser
• common minke whale
• common multiple
• common noun
• common or garden
• common pleas
• common property
• common/public good
• common ratio
• common room
• common salt
• common school
• common sense
• common situs picketing
• common stock
• common time
• common touch
• common year
• court of common pleas
• enter common usage
• for the common/public good
• greatest common divisor
• have a lot in common
• have nothing in common
• have/share more/less in common with
• have/share (something) in common
• in common
• in common parlance
• in common with
• least common denominator
• least common multiple
• lowest common denominator
• lowest common multiple
• make common cause
• share a common purpose
• the common touch

Rhymes for common

• aman
• brahman
• brahmin
• lawman
• uncommon

Kids Definition

common

1 of 2 adjective

com·​mon ˈkäm-ən 

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

b

: coarse sense 5, vulgar

commonly adverb

commonness

-ən-nəs 

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 

: 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