communal

adjective

com·​mu·​nal kə-ˈmyü-nᵊl 

ˈkäm-yə-nᵊl

1

: of or relating to one or more communes

a communal organization

2

: of or relating to a community

3

a

: characterized by collective ownership and use of property

b

: participated in, shared, or used in common by members of a group or community

a communal kitchen

gathered for a communal meal

4

: of, relating to, or based on racial or cultural groups

communal violence

communalize

kə-ˈmyü-nə-ˌlīz 

ˈkäm-yə-

transitive verb

communally adverb

Synonyms of communal

• collective
• collaborative
• joint
• combined
• mutual

Examples of communal in a Sentence

The tribe lived in communal huts.

the communal experience of riding on the train

Recent Examples on the Web

The rivers of people who crammed central Paris and their joyful enthusiasm rivaled other communal, though nonreligious, moments of celebration that marked France in recent decades. — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026

The rivers of people who crammed central Paris and their joyful enthusiasm rivaled other communal but non-religious moments of celebration that marked France in recent decades. — ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

The same is true when the students hear the sputter and throttle of tuk-tuks outside, signaling that the tikiyya – a mobile communal food kitchen – has arrived. — Ghada Abdulfattah, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026

Food and drink Meals are all-inclusive, communal, and dictated by what the team pulls from the water and garden that morning. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Late Latin communalis, from Latin communis

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing communal

• inter-communal

Rhymes for communal

• jejunal
• lagoonal
• monsoonal
• tribunal
• intercommunal

Kids Definition

communal

adjective

com·​mu·​nal kə-ˈmyün-ᵊl 

ˈkäm-yən-ᵊl

1

: of or relating to a commune or community

2

: shared or used in common by members of a group or community