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common sense

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun common sense contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of common sense are judgment, sense, and wisdom. While all these words mean "ability to reach intelligent conclusions," common sense suggests an average degree of such ability without sophistication or special knowledge.

common sense tells me it's wrong

Where would judgment be a reasonable alternative to common sense?

While the synonyms judgment and common sense are close in meaning, judgment implies sense tempered and refined by experience, training, and maturity.

they relied on her judgment for guidance

When would sense be a good substitute for common sense?

The synonyms sense and common sense are sometimes interchangeable, but sense implies a reliable ability to judge and decide with soundness, prudence, and intelligence.

a choice showing good sense

In what contexts can wisdom take the place of common sense?

The words wisdom and common sense are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, wisdom implies sense and judgment far above average.

a leader of rare wisdom

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 commonsense
Adjective
While speaking with Fox News Digital, Bateman also urged a commonsense approach to the conversation around the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was killed while riding a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2025 This multi-billion dollar industry preys on the poorest families in their most desperate times while spending millions of dollars lobbying against commonsense pretrial reform that might impact the industry’s bottomline. Rebecca Wallace, Denver Post, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
That’s just common sense to me. David Ulloa Jr, AZCentral.com, 18 Sep. 2025 That unknown bow maker had two pieces of information and the common sense to combine them. Clare Conley, Outdoor Life, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for commonsense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commonsense
Adjective
  • Fantasyland would be the most logical place for Harry to get a job as a ride operator.
    Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 26 Sep. 2025
  • First, starting off with the shooting guard spot, Collin Sexton seems like the most logical candidate to slide into that role at the season’s outset.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Additionally, a boom-and-bust cycle in the early 2000s informs some of the company’s prudence on expansion.
    Zev Fima, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
  • But those with long memories are tempering enthusiasm with prudence, remembering how the dot-com bubble led to unsustainable valuations and a painful crash.
    Tiz Gambacorta, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Many teams accept strikeouts as a reasonable price to pay to get more home runs.
    Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 22 Sep. 2025
  • These savings can be bundled and used strategically to make expensive car seats much more reasonable purchases.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • John tells fellow Hawaiians of the wisdom kept in this game like how the stone carvings from hundreds of years ago are believed to have been used as an abacus-esque device for managing and allocating land.
    Matt Negrin, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025
  • Is not losing yourself in a stream of deep thoughts in search of that elusive answer not part of the process of gaining wisdom?
    Paul Greenberg, Time, 20 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Infused with the brand’s signature scent—a warm, sophisticated blend of amber, musk, and florals—this shampoo not only cleanses but also pampers the senses.
    Jenny Berg, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
  • One week out from their first playoff game, the Chicago Cubs still do not have a solid timeline for All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker, who has been sidelined nearly all of September with a left calf injury, adding to the club’s sense of urgency.
    Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Within the self-censoring limits of the genre, Eisgruber has sensible things to say, maybe too sensible.
    Louis Menand, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Federal agencies like the CDC, the FDA and the HHS have been gutted of the bright minds who would normally pour through the mountains of research and compile sensible medical recommendations for the public.
    Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Our people have a horse sense for what good work is.
    Beth Greenfield, Fortune, 1 July 2024
  • His words of wisdom are tinged with wit and old-fashioned horse sense.
    Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 2 Jan. 2024
Adjective
  • His entirely rational explanation for doing so is in the game story.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Mass death, yes, but rational mass death.
    Paul Kingsnorth, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Commonsense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commonsense. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

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