commoner

noun

com·​mon·​er ˈkä-mə-nər 

1

a

: one of the common people

b

: one who is not of noble rank

2

: a student (as at Oxford) who pays for his own board

Synonyms

• commons
• crowd
• herd
• hoi polloi
• mass
• millions
• mob
• multitude
• people
• plebeians
• plebs
• populace
• public
• rank and file

Examples of commoner in a Sentence

a prince who married a commoner

Recent Examples on the Web

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party contends that opening royal status to commoners is just one step down a path that will ultimately lead to the abandonment of patrilineal legitimacy, ultimately discarding the sacred Y chromosome. —Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 June 2025

Isotopes in the bones of people buried there show that the city attracted people from far and wide, both commoners and elites. —Lizzie Wade, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2025

The morning ceremony marked the first time a king's daughter had married a commoner in 400 years. —Ariana Quihuiz, People.com, 6 May 2025

The former princess, who is Emperor Naruhito's niece, left Japan's royal family and gave up her royal status in order to marry Komuro — who is a commoner — in 2021. —Greta Bjornson, People.com, 2 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing commoner

• gentleman-commoner

Kids Definition

commoner

noun

com·​mon·​er ˈkäm-ə-nər 

: one of the common people : a person who is not of noble rank

Biographical Definition

Commoner

biographical name

Com·​mo·​ner ˈkä-mə-nər 

Barry 1917–2012 American biologist and educator