common

adjective

ˈkä-mən How to pronounce common (audio)
Definition of commonnext
1
as in ubiquitous
often observed or encountered horse ranches are a common sight in that part of the state

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in normal
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events just a common house cat but an extraordinary friend

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in general
belonging or relating to the whole facts of common knowledge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in low
belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank a man of wealth and privilege who mingled without pretense with the common folk

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in prevailing
held by or applicable to a majority of the people a politician who works not for the special interests but for the common good

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6
as in collective
used or done by a number of people as a group used a common bathroom while at the campground

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7
as in ordinary
of average to below average quality has a common singing voice that's good enough for performing at those venues

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8
as in poor
of low quality furniture of common workmanship that did not justify the high prices

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9
as in vulgar
lacking in refinement or good taste embarrassed by the common manners of his new in-laws

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective common contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of common are familiar, ordinary, plain, popular, and vulgar. While all these words mean "generally met with and not in any way special, strange, or unusual," common implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence and may additionally suggest inferiority or coarseness.

a common error
lacked common honesty
common manners

When would familiar be a good substitute for common?

The words familiar and common are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, familiar stresses the fact of being generally known and easily recognized.

a familiar melody

In what contexts can ordinary take the place of common?

The meanings of ordinary and common largely overlap; however, ordinary stresses conformance in quality or kind with the regular order of things.

an ordinary pleasant summer day
a very ordinary sort of man

When is plain a more appropriate choice than common?

While in some cases nearly identical to common, plain is likely to suggest homely simplicity.

plain hard-working people

When might popular be a better fit than common?

Although the words popular and common have much in common, popular applies to what is accepted by or prevalent among people in general sometimes in contrast to upper classes or special groups.

a writer of popular romances

How do vulgar and popular relate to one another, in the sense of common?

Vulgar, otherwise similar to popular, is likely to carry derogatory connotations (as of inferiority or coarseness).

souvenirs designed to appeal to the vulgar taste

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of common Stimulant medications like Adderall (amphetamine), Ritalin (methylphenidate), and Provigil (modafinil) are common treatments for narcolepsy. —Mark Gurarie, Health, 3 May 2025 Carly Pearce and Kelsea Ballerini have a lot more in common than being 30-something country singers! —Angel Saunders, People.com, 3 May 2025 Drawbacks Newer, less common, strong Digestive issues if too much High in saturated fat, may spike LDL Summary Though its flavor profile may not appeal to everyone, olive oil coffee provides many benefits that promote heart health and fight chronic disease. —Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 2 May 2025 Then the clams disappeared Nov. 29, 2021 Sparkman warned against taking common species for granted. —Sean Greene, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for common
Recent Examples of Synonyms for common
  1. ubiquitous
  2. normal
  3. general
  4. low
  5. collective
  6. ordinary
  7. poor
  8. vulgar
Adjective
  • This is story about untangling the mysteries as to why something so ubiquitous – and seemingly endless – could be on the cusp of disappearing entirely.
    — Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
  • Beyond the fact that using AI tools to write is generally frowned upon and considered to be unethical, AI writing has become so ubiquitous that using AI or modeling one’s work off of it is a surefire way to make your materials blend into a sea of other cookie-cutter essays.
    — Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Definition of ubiquitous
Adjective
  • Command that eluded McCullers across his first two appearances started to creep back toward normal.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 17 May 2025
  • Instead, the year quickly fell into a pattern that has become all too familiar for the local industry when the hopes that things might finally return to normal were squandered yet again by an unprecedented, devastating event.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 17 May 2025
Definition of normal
Adjective
  • Cellulitis is a general term for an infection of the skin or soft tissue anywhere.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
  • The team’s new general manager Monica Wright Rogers meanwhile will spend this upcoming season evaluating talent for both the expansion and college draft as well as preparing for a historic free agency period next year.
    — Eric Jackson, Sportico.com, 14 May 2025
Definition of general
Adjective
  • That high prices foretell lower prices rates more discussion as Republicans and conservatives rush to anoint former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh as the next Fed Chairman.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
  • That's why the ratings, the approval numbers of the media are so low.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 4 May 2025
Definition of low
Adjective
  • The Duke's participation underscored the urgency of the conservation challenges facing the continent and the need for collective action.
    — Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
  • Chelsea’s latest title has been a collective achievement, largely about being harmonious and disciplined, whereas their previous ones tended to have an obvious star: Bethany England, or Fran Kirby, or Sam Kerr, or Guro Reiten.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Definition of collective
Adjective
  • Things get better and worse and better, happier and sadder and so on, as the couple travels through eight episodes of mostly ordinary drama — jealousy and insecurity, mopiness and mooniness, desolation and elation, miscommunication and reconciliation — on the way to maturity.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
  • The royal family joined the 1,800-strong congregation in a national two-minute silence to reflect on and remember the sacrifices and heroism of the armed forces and the stoicism of ordinary people during the war.
    — Simon Perry, People.com, 8 May 2025
Definition of ordinary
Adjective
  • Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 23 points and OG Anunoby bounced back from two poor performances by scoring 20 for the Knicks, who can win the series Wednesday night at Boston.
    — Brian Mahoney, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2025
  • This results in a very poor Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 232.7% (against 21.5% for the S&P 500).
    — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Climate change vandals spray-painted a Tesla car dealership in Manhattan on Tuesday to protest Elon Musk’s work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), but as police arrived, the activists could be seen cleaning off some of the vulgar writing.
    — Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Two of the protesters are facing counts including obstructing a law enforcement officer and simple battery on a law enforcement officer, while a third has been charged with using vulgar language, according to Acworth police.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025
Definition of vulgar

Phrases Containing common

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commodores
common
commonalities
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Cite this Entry

“Common.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/common. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on common

Nglish: Translation of common for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about common

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