commune

1 of 2

verb

com·​mune kə-ˈmyün 

communed; communing

transitive verb

obsolete : talk over, discuss

have more to commune

—William Shakespeare

intransitive verb

1

: to receive Communion

The people who had communed returned to their pews using the side aisles.

2

: to communicate intimately

commune with nature

… he stands communing with his soul on a bridge …

—Richard Alleva

commune

2 of 2

noun

com·​mune ˈkäm-ˌyün 

kə-ˈmyün,

kä-

1

: the smallest administrative district of many countries especially in Europe

2

: commonalty sense 1a

3

: community: such as

a

: a medieval usually municipal corporation

b(1)

: mir

(2)

: an often rural community organized on a communal basis

Synonyms

Verb

• relate
• bond
• click

Examples of commune in a Sentence

Verb

a psychic who communes with the dead

after a week in the wilderness, the scouts were really starting to commune with nature

Noun

He's living in a religious commune.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Both sonnets offer the captive—and Cervantes—an opportunity to commemorate and mourn, to bear witness and to commune with the dead, at least for a bit. —Ed Simon september 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025

The universally accessible All Persons Trail at Broadmoor winds through a hemlock forest to a boardwalk, where hikers may commune with wildlife on Pike’s Pond. —Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025

Noun

Two people died and another was injured this Thursday, October 23, in a landslide in Fontamara, a commune of Port-au-Prince, in the Ouest department. —Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025

The pair married in May 2013 Righton and Knightley tied the knot in Mazan, a small commune in the Provence region of France. —Erica Marrison, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, to share, receive Communion, from Anglo-French communer, cummunier, from Late Latin communicare, from Latin — see communicate

Noun

French, alteration of Middle French comugne, from Medieval Latin communia, from Latin, neuter plural of communis

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

commune

1 of 2 verb

com·​mune kə-ˈmyün 

communed; communing

1

: to receive Communion

2

: to be in close communication with someone or something

commune with nature

commune

2 of 2 noun

com·​mune ˈkäm-ˌyün 

kə-ˈmyün

1

: the smallest administrative district of many countries especially in Europe

2

: a small group of people that live together and share property and duties