common

adjective

com·mon | \ˈkä-mən

Definition of common

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : of or relating to a community at large : public work for the common good

b : known to the community common nuisances

2a : 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

3a : 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

4a : 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

5a : 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 it— J. 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

common

noun

Definition of common (Entry 2 of 2)

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.

6a : a religious service suitable for any of various festivals

b : ordinary sense 2

7 : common stock

in common

: shared together has a lot in common with his neighbors

Other Words from common Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about common

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Choose the Right Synonym for common

Adjective

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

Adjective

common, ordinary, and familiar mean occurring often. common is used for something that is of the everyday sort and frequently occurs. Fishing boats are a common sight around here. ordinary is used when something is of the usual standard. I had an ordinary day. familiar is used of something that is well-known and easily recognized. That song is familiar.

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

Brookies are common in shallower water around the lily pads. — Jordan Rodriguez, idahostatesman, "Warm Lake offers chance to beat the heat, catch some fish near Cascade," 9 July 2018 That sentiment hasn't been a common one in recent years at the hospital. — Morgan Watkins, The Courier-Journal, "University of Louisville Hospital says it's on mend minus KentuckyOne," 5 July 2018 Such systems are common in European cities but still a bold idea outside of a few downtowns in the U.S. — Jay Walljasper, WIRED, "The Bitter Battle to Turn an Old Factory Into a 21st Century 'Eco-Village'," 3 July 2018 Higher levels of exercise were more common in people who were working than those who weren’t, the study also found. — Mike Stobbe, BostonGlobe.com, "Survey: Exercise and obesity are both rising in US," 29 June 2018 The lapacho trees that are so common in Paraguay burst into flower around this time, too (the bright pink flowers are the Latin American equivalent of Japanese sakura). — Mark Ellwood, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best Places to Visit in August," 27 June 2018 The stories cover very different ground, and they are tinged with a sadness that’s common in these kinds of RPGs. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "Octopath Traveler is a modern take on classic Final Fantasy on the Nintendo Switch," 12 July 2018 This revealed phytanic acid (frequently found in the fat and milk of ruminants), azelaic acid (common in wholegrain cereals) and gamma-terpinene (typically found in herbs like coriander). — The Economist, "A mummy’s final meal adds to an ancient mystery," 12 July 2018 Officer Michael Carroll, spokesman for the Chicago Police Department, said that if comprehensive background checks are to become more commonplace in general gun sales, then straw purchases will become more common, too. — Will Campbell, idahostatesman, "Path of a gun: Weapon used in Chicago shooting traced back to Idaho pawn shop," 4 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

During training camp the Tiger-Cats slept in twin beds at Les Prince Hall, swiped into the commons for team meals, held nightly meetings inside academic auditoriums. — Alex Prewitt, SI.com, "Johnny Manziel’s Last Chance—as a Backup in the CFL," 16 June 2018 Coughing and rustling is common between movements at New York concerts, but this time there seemed almost a collective gasp after the first movement, as if listeners had been holding their breath throughout. — New York Times, "Review: We Held Our Breath Through Simon Rattle’s Mahler," 8 May 2018 This would be a tragedy of the commons and for the Constitution. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The Interstate Tax Grab," 15 Apr. 2018 Short says to look out for these commons signals that our bodies are fatigued and our ability to drive may be impaired: Yawning. — NBC News, "How to tell if you're too tired to drive — and what to do if you are," 8 July 2018 The house, built only a few blocks from the 143rd Street railroad station, was made in an architectural style common at the time and used lightweight lumber available through the railroad. — David Gleisner, Daily Southtown, "Orland Park's 'first and oldest' home is on the market," 2 July 2018 The school’s center will also have a large commons area where students will eat lunch. — Meredith Colias-pete, Post-Tribune, "New Illiana Christian High School set to open in August," 13 July 2018 The play and the website share a lot in common: Everyone is very angry and sick and everyone is horny on main. — Constance Grady, Vox, "You can rent a room above this bookstore by the sea and run the shop," 30 June 2018 The two have a lot in common: While Christina is the costar of HGTV's Flip or Flop, her British beau has reality TV experience, too, on Channel 4's For the Love of Cars, BBC Two's Building Cars Live, and Velocity's Wheeler Dealers. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "Christina El Moussa's Boyfriend Ant Anstead Just Shut Down a Hater Who Said He Looks Better With His Ex," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'common.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

11 Oct 2018

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The first known use of common was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for common

common

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of common

(Entry 1 of 2)

: belonging to or shared by two or more people or groups

: done by many people

: occurring or appearing frequently : not rare

common

noun

English Language Learners Definition of common (Entry 2 of 2)

: a public area or park usually in the center of a town or city

commons : a place where meals are served at a school, college, etc.

See the full definition for common in the English Language Learners Dictionary

common

adjective

com·mon | \ˈkä-mən

Kids Definition of common

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : affecting, belonging to, needed by, or used by everybody for the common good a common room

2 : shared by two or more individuals or by the members of a family or group a common ancestor

3 : general entry 1 sense 1 common knowledge

4 : occurring, appearing, or used frequently a common sight a common name

5 : not above the average in rank or status a common soldier

6 : not privileged or elite “… the common folks … live and die unnoticed.”— L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz

7 : expected from polite and decent people common courtesy

in common

: shared together We have a lot in common.

common

noun

Kids Definition of common (Entry 2 of 2)

: land (as a park) owned and used by a community

common

adjective

com·mon | \ˈkäm-ən

Medical Definition of common

: formed of or dividing into two or more branches the common facial vein common iliac vessels

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common

adjective

com·mon

Legal Definition of common

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

noun

Legal Definition of common (Entry 2 of 2)

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