community

noun, often attributive

com·mu·ni·ty | \ kə-ˈmyü-nə-tē

plural communities

Definition of community

1 : a unified body of individuals: such as

a : the people with common interests living in a particular area broadly : the area itself the problems of a large community

b : a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society a community of retired persons a monastic community

c : a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society the academic community the scientific community

d : a body of persons or nations having a common history or common social, economic, and political interests the international community

e : a group linked by a common policy

f : an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (such as species) in a common location

g : state, commonwealth

2a : a social state or condition The school encourages a sense of community in its students.

b : joint ownership or participation community of goods

c : common character : likeness community of interests

d : social activity : fellowship

3 : society at large the interests of the community

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Examples of community in a Sentence

a respectable member of the community The festival was a great way for the local community to get together. Many communities are facing budget problems. People in the community wanted better police protection.

Recent Examples on the Web

Active in the underground psychedelic community, Lotsof had heard that higher doses of ibogaine could produce a bizarre trip lasting as long as 36 hours. — Wired, "A Detox Drug Promises Miracles—If It Doesn't Kill You First," 15 Sep. 2019 But continuing violence against Sikhs in the U.S. worries community leaders. — Washington Post, "Sikh preaches love 18 years after brother killed over turban," 15 Sep. 2019 The incident happened in August at a football camp sponsored by Kennett High School, but the school’s response was still roiling the community a month later. — Robert Gearty, Fox News, "New Hampshire high school football players suspended in duck attack caught on video," 15 Sep. 2019 Sax has worked with more than 400 schools and communities across the United States and around the world. — baltimoresun.com, "’Instagram Ate My Daughter, My Son Won’t Stop Playing Fortnite, What Can I Do?’ is topic of free presentation Sept. 19 in Bel Air," 15 Sep. 2019 The first Sikh community entered the United States via the West Coast during the 1890s. — Simran Jeet Singh, The Conversation, "Why Sikhs wear a turban and what it means to practice the faith in the United States," 13 Sep. 2019 Buttigieg came out in 2015 in a letter in the South Bend Tribune in the aftermath of the passage of the state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which some thought could be used to discriminate against the LGBTQ community. — Chris Sikich, Indianapolis Star, "Takeaways from Buttigieg's performance at Thursday's Democratic debate," 13 Sep. 2019 There was no World Wide Web to bring these far-flung communities of enthusiasts together. — James Somers, The New Yorker, "How Hackers Won the Water," 13 Sep. 2019 In fact, in my community, a lot of black children had anxieties about the water. — Morgan Jerkins, Longreads, "‘To Be Polite By Ignoring the Obvious’: Jess Row on Unpacking Whiteness in Literature," 13 Sep. 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near community

community antenna television

community center

Statistics for community

Last Updated

18 Sep 2019

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Time Traveler for community

The first known use of community was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for community

community

noun

English Language Learners Definition of community

: a group of people who live in the same area (such as a city, town, or neighborhood)

: a group of people who have the same interests, religion, race, etc.

: a group of nations

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

community

noun

com·mu·ni·ty | \ kə-ˈmyü-nə-tē

plural communities

Kids Definition of community

1 : the people living in a certain place (as a village or city) : the area itself

2 : a natural group (as of kinds of plants and animals) living together and depending on one another for various necessities of life (as food or shelter)

3 : a group of people with common interests the business community a community of artists

4 : a feeling of caring about others in a group The school fosters a sense of community.

community

noun

com·mu·ni·ty | \ kə-ˈmyü-nət-ē

plural communities

Medical Definition of community

: a unified body of individuals: as

a : the people with common interests living in a particular area broadly : the area itself the problems of a large community

b : an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (as species) in a common location

c : a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society a community of retired persons

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community

noun

com·mu·ni·ty

plural communities

Legal Definition of community

1 : the people who live in a particular place or region and usually are linked by some common interests

2a : the mass of community property owned by a husband and wife a spouse may not…lease to a third person his undivided interest in the community or in particular things of the community — Louisiana Civil Code

b : the entity created upon the marriage of a husband and wife for the purposes of ownership of property in community property states — see also community property at property, regime