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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
Rainey wants to bring common sense to local government by bringing in more businesses and housing, supporting infrastructure and communicating with citizens about who their local officials are, her campaign site says. Pj Green october 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025 While that may seem common sense at first glance, the devil is in the details. Cole Marting, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for commonsense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commonsense
Adjective
  • Scientists researched the phenomenon for decades without finding a logical explanation.
    Graham Averill, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Coming into the game, the Aggies were the logical pick to win.
    Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 26 Oct. 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
  • Meanwhile, Taiwan’s military should exercise prudence in its rules of engagement and not assume that every close call is intentional.
    JOEL WUTHNOW, Foreign Affairs, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The full selection, including Bib Gourmand restaurants (an honor that highlights restaurants offering high-quality food at reasonable prices), recognizes 228 restaurants spanning 44 cuisine types, shining a national and international spotlight on the varied cuisines and talented chefs of the South.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2025
  • The Penguins have a pretty reasonable amount of depth on the blue line, especially on the right side, which would make that move easier to absorb.
    Josh Yohe, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • In an intense Instagram post Thursday, her 44th, the mother of three included various family album style photos over the last few years, plus some words of wisdom.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
  • And that does come with wisdom, but that also comes with fury.
    Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The differences between any given Grokipedia and Wikipedia entry are in some sense hard to debate because there is no shared ground upon which to have a reasoned disagreement; to gravitate toward Grokipedia is to leave the world of evidence for that of belief.
    Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Deliberative democracy is the idea that decision-making and governance are arrived at through thoughtful, reasoned and respectful dialogue.
    Lee Bebout, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • This, plus the ongoing calls among family members, maintains a powerful sense of human connection and love.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
  • The move turned out to be a blessing for Harrison, who has felt a sense of relief since leaving the dating show.
    Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • And the President of the United States, played by Idris Elba, seems sensible.
    Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 31 Oct. 2025
  • That was not a club in chaos, but a relatively sensible and structured succession plan.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 26 Oct. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Commonsense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commonsense. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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