Word forms: comparative commoner, superlative commonest, plural commons
1. adjective
If something is common, it is found in large numbers or it happens often.
His name was Hansen, a common name in Norway.
Oil pollution is the commonest cause of death for seabirds.
Earthquakes are not common in this part of the world.
It was common practice for prisoners to carve objects from animal bones to pass thetime.
Synonyms: usual, standard, daily, regular More Synonyms of common
commonlyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
Parsley is probably the most commonly used of all herbs.
2. adjective
If something is commonto two or more people or groups, it is done, possessed, or used by them all.
Moldavians and Romanians share a common language.
Such behaviour is common to all young people. [+ to]
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
When there are more animals or plants of a particular species than there are of related species, then the first species is called common.
...the common house fly.
4. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Common is used to indicate that someone or something is of the ordinary kind and not special in any way.
Common salt is made up of 40% sodium and 60% chloride.
Synonyms: ordinary, average, simple, typical More Synonyms of common
5. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Common decency or common courtesy is the decency or courtesy which most people have. You usually talk about this when someone has not shown these characteristics in their behaviour to show your disapproval of them.
[disapproval]
It is common decency to give your seat to anyone in greater need.
He didn't have the common courtesy to ask permission.
6. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You can use common to describe knowledge, an opinion, or a feeling that is shared by people in general.
It is common knowledge that swimming is one of the best forms of exercise.
...the common view that acupuncture is only a fringe area of medicine.
commonlyadverb [ADVERB -ed]
A little adolescent rebellion is commonly believed to be healthy.
7. adjective
If you describe someone or their behaviour as common, you mean that they show a lack of taste, education, and good manners.
[disapproval]
She might be a little common at times, but she was certainly not boring.
Synonyms: vulgar, low, inferior, coarse More Synonyms of common
8. countable noun
A common is an area of grassy land, usually in or near a village or small town, where the public is allowed to go.
We are warning women not to go out on to the common alone.
...Wimbledon Common.
In American English, the commons is also used.
...people who have the greatest need for the use of the commons, the public space.
9. proper noun [with singular or plural verb]
The Commons is the same as the House of Commons. The members of the House of Commons can also be referred to as the Commons.
The Prime Minister is to make a statement in the Commons this afternoon.
The Commons has spent over three months on the bill.
10. See also lowest common denominator
11.
See in common
12.
See in common
13. to make common cause with someone
14. the common good
15. common ground
16. the common touch
More Synonyms of common
common in British English
(ˈkɒmən)
adjective
1.
belonging to or shared by two or more people
common property
2.
belonging to or shared by members of one or more nations or communities; public
a common culture
3.
of ordinary standard; average
common decency
4.
prevailing; widespread
common opinion
5.
widely known or frequently encountered; ordinary
a common brand of soap
6.
widely known and notorious
a common nuisance
7. derogatory
considered by the speaker to be low-class, vulgar, or coarse
a common accent
8. (prenominal)
having no special distinction, rank, or status
the common people
9. mathematics
a.
having a specified relationship with a group of numbers or quantities
common denominator
b.
(of a tangent) tangential to two or more circles
10. prosody
(of a syllable) able to be long or short, or (in nonquantitative verse) stressed or unstressed
11. grammar
(in certain languages, for example Latin) denoting or belonging to a gender of nouns, esp one that includes both masculine and feminine referents
in Latin, sacerdos is common
12. anatomy
a.
having branches
the common carotid artery
b.
serving more than one function
the common bile duct
13. Christianity
of or relating to the common of the Mass or divine office
14. common or garden
noun
15. (sometimes plural)
a tract of open public land, esp one now used as a recreation area
16. law
the right to go onto someone else's property and remove natural products, as by pasturing cattle or fishing (esp in the phrase right of common)
17. Christianity
a.
a form of the proper of the Mass used on festivals that have no special proper of their own
b.
the ordinary of the Mass
18. archaic
the ordinary people; the public, esp those undistinguished by rank or title
19. in common
Derived forms
commonness (ˈcommonness)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French commun, from Latin commūnis general, universal
common in American English
(ˈkɑmən)
adjective
1.
belonging equally to, or shared by, two or more or by all
the common interests of a group
2.
belonging or relating to the community at large; public
common carriers
3.
widely existing; general; prevalent
common knowledge
4.
widely but unfavorably known
a common criminal
5.
a.
met with or occurring frequently; familiar; usual
a common sight
b.
basic; simple; rudimentary
common courtesy
6.
not of the upper classes; of the masses
the common man
7.
having no rank
a common soldier
8.
below ordinary; inferior
common ware
9.
not refined; vulgar; low; coarse
10. Anatomy
formed of or dividing into branches
11. Grammar
a.
designating a noun that refers to any of a group or class, as book, apple, street
see also proper
b.
designating gender that can be either masculine or feminine
the word child is of common gender
12. Ancient Mathematics
belonging equally to two or more quantities
a common denominator
noun
13. US; [sometimes pl.]
land owned or used by all the inhabitants of a place; tract of open public land, esp. as a park in a city or town
14. [oftenC-]; Ecclesiastical
a.
the office or service suitable for any of a class of festivals
b.
the ordinary of the Mass
15. Law
the right that a person has, in common with the owner or others, in the land or waters of another
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈmutual
Idioms:
in common
SYNONYMY NOTE: common refers to that which is met with most frequently or is shared by all or most individualsin a group, body, etc., and may imply prevalence, usualness, or, in a depreciatorysense, inferiority [a common belief, a common hussy]; general implies connection with all or nearly all of a kind, class, or group and stressesextensiveness [general unrest among the people]; ordinary implies accordance with the regular or customary pattern, stressing commonplacenessand lack of special distinction [an ordinary workday]; familiar applies to that which is widely known and readily recognized [a familiar feeling]; popular and, in this connection, , vulgar imply widespread currency, acceptance, or favor among the general public or the commonpeople [apopular song, Vulgar Latin]
OPPOSITES: unusual, exceptional
commons
Derived forms
commonness (ˈcommonness)
noun
Word origin
ME commun < OFr comun < L communis (OL comoinis), shared by all or many < IE *kom-moini-, common (< *kom, com- + *moini-, achievement < base *mei-, to exchange, barter) > OE gemæne, public, general, Ger gemein: see mean2
More idioms containing
common
find common ground
common as muck
the common touch
Examples of 'common' in a sentence
common
So many of the women he had been out with over the years shared common characteristics.
Stuart Harrison LOST SUMMER (2002)
Their clothes looked like hand-me-downs and they shared a common dark hue to their skin and eyes.
Stuart Harrison LOST SUMMER (2002)
I'd at least managed to hang on to enough of my common sense not to let him move in with me.
Val McDermid DEAD BEAT (2002)
We can't rule out common criminals or even one of the paramilitary organizations.
James Grippando A KING'S RANSOM (2002)
In other languages
common
British English: common /ˈkɒmən/ ADJECTIVE
If something is common, it is found in large numbers or it happens often.
It's a common mistake.
American English: common
Arabic: شَائِع
Brazilian Portuguese: comum
Chinese: 常见的
Croatian: čest
Czech: běžný
Danish: fælles
Dutch: veelvoorkomend
European Spanish: común
Finnish: yleinen
French: commun
German: weitverbreitet
Greek: συνήθης
Italian: comune
Japanese: 普通の
Korean: 흔한
Norwegian: vanlig
Polish: wspólny
European Portuguese: comum
Romanian: frecvent
Russian: общий
Latin American Spanish: común
Swedish: vanlig
Thai: ที่เกิดขึ้นทุกวัน
Turkish: yaygın
Ukrainian: поширений
Vietnamese: phổ biến
All related terms of 'common'
in common
If two or more things have something in common , they have the same characteristic or feature .
common cold
The common cold is a mild illness . If you have it, your nose is blocked or runny and you have a sore throat or a cough .
common core
the most important subjects of the curriculum
common cost
costs assignable to two or more products, operations , departments , etc., of a company
common crab
an edible crustacean , Cancer pagurusan
Common Era
→ Christian Era
common fee
(in Australia) the agreed usual charge for any medical service, which determines the amount of reimbursement under the federal health scheme
common form
A form of something is a type or kind of it.
common good
the part of the property of a Scottish burgh , in the form of land or funds , that is at the disposal of the community
common gull
a type of gull , Larus canus
common land
Common land is land which everyone is allowed to use.
common law
Common law is the system of law which is based on judges ' decisions and on custom rather than on written laws.
common noun
A common noun is a noun such as 'tree', 'water', or ' beauty ' that is not the name of one particular person or thing. Compare → proper noun .
common oak
a large deciduous oak tree, Quercus robur, of Eurasia , having lobed leaves and stalked acorns
common room
A common room is a room in a university or school where people can sit , talk , and relax .
common salt
common table salt; a soluble colourless crystalline compound occurring naturally as halite and in sea water: widely used as a seasoning and preservative for food and in the manufacture of chemicals, glass, and soap . Formula: NaCl
common seal
the official seal of a corporate body
common teal
a small Eurasian duck , Anas crecca , that is related to the mallard and frequents ponds , lakes, and marshes
common time
a time signature indicating four crotchet beats to the bar ; four-four time
common toad
an amphibian of the class Bufonidae, Bufo bufo of Europe
common weal
→ the common weal
common belief
If it is your belief that something is the case , it is your strong opinion that it is the case.
common chord
a chord consisting of the keynote , a major or minor third, and a perfect fifth
common enemy
If someone is your enemy , they are opposed to you and to what you think or do.
common factor
a number or quantity that is a factor of each member of a group of numbers or quantities
common ground
If two people or groups find common ground , they agree about something, especially when they do not agree about other things.
common iguana
the green iguana ( Iguana iguana )
common mallow
cheese 1 (sense 5 )
Common Market
A common market is an organization of countries who have agreed to trade freely with each other and make common decisions about industry and agriculture .
common metre
a stanza form, used esp for hymns , consisting of four lines, two of eight syllables alternating with two of six
common pleas
in some U.S. states , a court having general and original jurisdiction over civil and criminal trials
common prayer
the liturgy of public services of the Church of England, esp Morning and Evening Prayer
common reason
The reason for something is a fact or situation which explains why it happens or what causes it to happen.
common sallow
a small Eurasian willow tree , Salix cinerea , which has large catkins that appear before the leaves
common school
a public elementary school
common scoter
a sea duck of northern regions, Melanitta nigra . The male plumage is black with white patches around the head and eyes
common sense
Your common sense is your natural ability to make good judgments and to behave in a practical and sensible way.
common shrew
a small mouse-like long-snouted mammal, Sorex araneus , of the family Soricidae: order Insectivora ( insectivores )
common snipe
a bird, Gallinago gallinago , of marshes and river banks , having a long straight bill : family Scolopacidae ( sandpipers , etc), order Charadriiformes
common stock
Common stock refers to the shares in a company that are owned by people who have a right to vote at the company's meetings and to receive part of the company's profits after the holders of preferred stock have been paid .
common swift
Apus apus, a bird with long narrow wings which spends most of the time on the wing
common theme
A theme in a piece of writing, a talk , or a discussion is an important idea or subject that runs through it.
common thread
The thread of an argument, a story, or a situation is an aspect of it that connects all the different parts together.
common touch
the ability to communicate with, appeal to, or inspire ordinary people
common usage
Usage is the way in which words are actually used in particular contexts , especially with regard to their meanings .
common zebra
Equus burchelli , the most common type of zebra
common assault
an action that causes a person to fear that he or she is in danger of violent attack
common carrier
a person or firm engaged in the business of transporting goods or passengers
common currency
If you say that an idea or belief has become common currency , you mean it is widely used and accepted.
common divisor
a number or quantity that is a factor of each member of a group of numbers or quantities
Chinese translation of 'common'
common
(ˈkɔmən)
adj
(= usual) 常见(見)的 (chángjiàn de)
⇒ Jones is a common name there.琼斯在那儿是个常见的名字。 (Qióngsī zài nàr shì gè chángjiàn de míngzi.)
(= shared) 共同的 (gòngtóng de)
⇒ Our countries share a common frontier.我们的国家有共同的边界线。 (Wǒmen de guójiā yǒu gòngtóng de biānjièxiàn.)
(= not special) 普通的 (pǔtōng de)
⇒ the common man普通人 (pǔtōngrén)
(= vulgar)[person, manners]粗俗的 (cūsú de)
⇒ She's a little common at times.她有时有点俗气。 (Tā yǒushí yǒudiǎn súqì.)
n(c)
(= area) 公用地 (gōngyòng dì) (块(塊), kuài)
common to常见(見)于(於) (chángjiàn yú)
in common use常用 (chángyòng)
it's common knowledge that ... 大家都知道 ... (dàjiā dōu zhīdào ... )
for the common good为(為)了大家的利益 (wèile dàjiā de lìyì)
the idea has become common currency这(這)观(觀)点(點)已是众(眾)所周知的了 (zhè guāndiǎn yǐ shì zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī de le)
common ground共同点(點) (gòngtóngdiǎn)
to have sth in common[people]有某些共同点(點) (yǒu mǒuxiē gòngtóngdiǎn) [things]有共同的某特征(徵) (yǒu gòngtóng de mǒu tèzhēng)
to have sth in common with sb/sth与(與)某人/某物有某共同点(點) (yǔ mǒurén/mǒuwù yǒu mǒu gòngtóngdiǎn)
not to have anything in common (with sb/sth)(与(與)某人/某物)没(沒)有任何共同点(點) ((yǔ mǒurén/mǒuwù) méiyǒu rènhé gòngtóngdiǎn)
All related terms of 'common'
common to
常见(見)于(於) chángjiàn yú
common ground
共同点(點) gòngtóngdiǎn
common sense
常识(識) chángshí [ 个(個) gè ]
in common use
常用 chángyòng
for the common good
为(為)了大家的利益 wèile dàjiā de lìyì
to have sth in common
( people ) 有某些共同点(點) yǒu mǒuxiē gòngtóngdiǎn
by common or mutual consent
经(經)一致同意 jīng yīzhì tóngyì
common sense dictates that ...
依据(據)常识(識) ... yījù chángshí ...
it's common knowledge that ...
大家都知道 ... dàjiā dōu zhīdào ...
it is common knowledge that ...
众(眾)所周知 ... zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī ...
the disease is common in children
这(這)种(種)病在儿(兒)童中是常见(見)的 zhè zhǒng bìng zài értóng zhōng shì chángjiàn de
the idea has become common currency
这(這)观(觀)点(點)已是众(眾)所周知的了 zhè guāndiǎn yǐ shì zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī de le