common sense

noun

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: common sense in a Sentence

Definition of common sense

: sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts

She's very smart but doesn't have a lot of common sense.

rely on common sense for personal safety

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commonsense

play \ˈkä-mən-ˈsen(t)s\ adjective

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commonsensible

play \ˈkä-mən-ˈsen(t)-sə-bəl\ adjective

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commonsensical

play \ˈkä-mən-ˈsen(t)-si-kəl\ adjective

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commonsensically

play \ˈkä-mən-ˈsen(t)-si-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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Examples of common sense in a Sentence

You really should go to see a doctor if your leg hurts that much. It's just common sense!
Obey the laws and use common sense when operating your boat.
She's very smart but she doesn't have a lot of common sense.

Recent Examples of common sense from the Web

And that is if common sense (from a basketball standpoint) doesn't prevail and Carmelo doesn't sign with the Rockets.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "ASK IRA: Readers sound off (a lot) on Carmelo-Heat possibility," 11 July 2018
That’s just common sense and sound government practice.

— ashby jones, WSJ, "Judge Brett Kavanaugh: In His Own Words," 9 July 2018
Anyone who refuses to recognize that Donald Trump has raised the hate meter in this country to DEFCON 1 (our nation’s highest threat alert) is choosing politics over patriotism, despotism over common sense, anarchy over democracy.

— rochelle riley, Detroit Free Press, "Rochelle Riley: Threats to journalists are threats to America," 8 July 2018
The report found that Taliban judges were well trained and drew on cultural norms and common sense, not just Islamic precepts.

— pamela constable, Washington Post, "The Taliban has successfully built a parallel state in many parts of Afghanistan, report says," 21 June 2018
And the judges who staff those courts are not judges in the common sense, but are employees of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), a wing of the Justice Department.

— henry gass, The Christian Science Monitor, "With 'zero tolerance,' new strain on already struggling immigration courts," 9 July 2018
Accessibility was paramount, both as a requirement for any federal site and as common sense for a facility often visited by multigenerational road-tripping groups.

— alexandra lange, Curbed, "Gateway to what?," 28 June 2018
But their ingenuity, mother wit and good common sense made them masters in their profession without the aid of measuring spoons and cups, modern equipment or science.

— hannah giorgis, Bon Appetit, "How Freda DeKnight’s Cookbook, ‘A Date with a Dish’ Inspired Generations of Black Cooks," 19 June 2018
Our street crisis needs a response that combines humanity and common sense.

— heather knight, San Francisco Chronicle, "Rafael Mandelman wants to take action on homeless problem," 9 June 2018

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

First Known Use of common sense

1726

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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common sense Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of common sense

sense, common sense, judgment, wisdom mean ability to reach intelligent conclusions. sense implies a reliable ability to judge and decide with soundness, prudence, and intelligence.