common
1 of 2adjective
com·mon ˈkä-mən 
1
a
: of or relating to a community at large : public
work for the common good
b
: known to the community
common nuisances
2
a
: belonging to or shared by two or more individuals or things or by all members of a group
a common friend
buried in a common grave
common interests
b
: belonging equally to two or more mathematical entities
triangles with a common base
c
: having two or more branches
common carotid artery
3
a
: occurring or appearing frequently : familiar
a common sight
b
: of the best known or most frequently seen kind —used especially of plants and animals
the common housefly
c
: vernacular sense 2
common names
4
a
: widespread, general
common knowledge
b
: characterized by a lack of privilege or special status
common people
a common laborer
c
: just satisfying accustomed criteria : elementary
common decency
5
a
: falling below ordinary standards : second-rate
Oh hard is the bed they have made him, / And common the blanket and cheap …
A. E. Housman
A. E. Housman b
: lacking refinement : coarse
said, in his common vulgar way, the city would have to lump it J. K. Jerome
J. K. Jerome6
: denoting nominal relations by a single linguistic form that in a more highly inflected language might be denoted by two or more different forms
common gender
common case
7
: of, relating to, or being common stock
commonly adverb
commonness
ˈkä-mən-nəs
noun common
2 of 2noun
1
commons plural : the common people
2
commons plural in form but singular in construction : a dining hall
Students usually have their meals at the commons.
3
commons or Commons plural in form but singular or plural in construction
a
: the political group or estate comprising the commoners
b
: the parliamentary representatives of the commoners
c
: house of commons
4
: the legal right of taking a profit in another's land in common with the owner or others
5
: a piece of land subject to common use: such as
a
: undivided land used especially for pasture
b
: a public open area in a municipality
A food and jazz festival will be held at the town common.
6
a
: a religious service suitable for any of various festivals
b
: ordinary sense 3
7
: common stock
Synonyms
Adjective
- common or garden [chiefly British]
- commonplace
- everyday
- familiar
- frequent
- garden-variety
- household
- ordinary
- quotidian
- routine
- ubiquitous
- usual
Noun
- commoners
- crowd
- herd
- hoi polloi
- mass
- millions
- mob
- multitude
- people
- plebeians
- plebs
- populace
- public
- rank and file
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective They have a common ancestor. The people on the island have a sense of common identity. It is common practice for one town's fire department to help another town when there is a big fire. Electric windows are a common feature in new cars. “Smith” is a common name. I think some of the most common flowers are also some of the prettiest. cures for the common cold Noun The campus has several dining commons. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Jacob Siegal, BGR, 14 Sep. 2022 Fentanyl overdose deaths — particularly accidental fentanyl overdoses — have become increasingly common in the U.S. in recent years. Tommy Mcardle, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2022 Members of the Palos Heights Police Department join firefighters, medical workers and school staff for drills at schools as school shootings seem to become more common. Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 14 Sep. 2022 That’s one view of the future: To state the obvious, these unusually intense heat waves are going to become more common under climate change, which is making heat waves generally more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting. Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2022 As has become common, the Emmys were largely awarded to streaming and premium TV programs that generally attract smaller audiences than the most popular broadcast shows, even with the decline in viewership of linear TV. Brian Lowry, CNN, 13 Sep. 2022 Heatwaves like these are expected to become much more common in places unaccustomed to such weather, as happened this summer when scorching temperatures in the U.K. caused airport tarmacs to melt. Tristan Bove, Fortune, 13 Sep. 2022 Cyberattacks targeted at school districts across the country have become more common. Beck Andrew Salgado, Journal Sentinel, 9 Sep. 2022 And as severe weather events become more common, the need for better information will become even more essential. Erin Allday, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Sep. 2022 Leslie Kendall Dye, The Atlantic, 19 June 2022 My friend and his wife live on the edge of a park, not a former common but land that was levelled by German bombing. Eula Biss, The New Yorker, 8 June 2022 The war in Vietnam had increasingly divided Lexington—thousands of residents had turned out in 1969 to rally on the common for a moratorium in the fighting. Bill Mckibben, The New Yorker, 1 May 2022 In 2020, the display was scaled down significantly — with just 1,000 flags lining the common. BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2021 For all their differences, every ACAAN has one feature in common: At some point, the magician touches the cards. New York Times, 23 May 2021 Even politicians who have little in common seemed to unite in their misgivings about the league. Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2021 These short stories share a common through line of death and darkness, and they’re written from the supposition that day-to-day life isn’t mundane, but aggressively (and hilariously) cruel. Brian Boone, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2021 Overuse of national parks is often cited as an example of the tragedy of the commons, an economic theory that describes how people sometimes use natural resources to their advantage without considering the good of society as a whole. National Geographic, 24 Mar. 2020 See More
Adjective
In recent years, data breaches such as this have become increasingly common. Jacob Siegal, BGR, 14 Sep. 2022 Fentanyl overdose deaths — particularly accidental fentanyl overdoses — have become increasingly common in the U.S. in recent years. Tommy Mcardle, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2022 Members of the Palos Heights Police Department join firefighters, medical workers and school staff for drills at schools as school shootings seem to become more common. Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 14 Sep. 2022 That’s one view of the future: To state the obvious, these unusually intense heat waves are going to become more common under climate change, which is making heat waves generally more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting. Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, 13 Sep. 2022 As has become common, the Emmys were largely awarded to streaming and premium TV programs that generally attract smaller audiences than the most popular broadcast shows, even with the decline in viewership of linear TV. Brian Lowry, CNN, 13 Sep. 2022 Heatwaves like these are expected to become much more common in places unaccustomed to such weather, as happened this summer when scorching temperatures in the U.K. caused airport tarmacs to melt. Tristan Bove, Fortune, 13 Sep. 2022 Cyberattacks targeted at school districts across the country have become more common. Beck Andrew Salgado, Journal Sentinel, 9 Sep. 2022 And as severe weather events become more common, the need for better information will become even more essential. Erin Allday, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Sep. 2022 Noun
Tennessee Williams’s Memoirs is next to a biography of Patrick Dennis called Uncle Mame, because Williams and Dennis had many things in common: Pathos. Leslie Kendall Dye, The Atlantic, 19 June 2022 My friend and his wife live on the edge of a park, not a former common but land that was levelled by German bombing. Eula Biss, The New Yorker, 8 June 2022 The war in Vietnam had increasingly divided Lexington—thousands of residents had turned out in 1969 to rally on the common for a moratorium in the fighting. Bill Mckibben, The New Yorker, 1 May 2022 In 2020, the display was scaled down significantly — with just 1,000 flags lining the common. BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2021 For all their differences, every ACAAN has one feature in common: At some point, the magician touches the cards. New York Times, 23 May 2021 Even politicians who have little in common seemed to unite in their misgivings about the league. Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2021 These short stories share a common through line of death and darkness, and they’re written from the supposition that day-to-day life isn’t mundane, but aggressively (and hilariously) cruel. Brian Boone, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2021 Overuse of national parks is often cited as an example of the tragedy of the commons, an economic theory that describes how people sometimes use natural resources to their advantage without considering the good of society as a whole. National Geographic, 24 Mar. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Noun
Middle English commun, from Anglo-French, from Latin communis — more at mean
First Known Use
Adjective
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5
Phrases Containing common
Kids Definition
common 1 of 2
adjective
com·mon ˈkä-mən
1
: affecting, belonging to, needed by, or used by everybody
for the common good
a common room
2
: shared by two or more individuals or by the members of a family or group
a common ancestor
3
: general entry 1 sense 1
common knowledge
4
: occurring, appearing, or used frequently
a common sight
a common name
5
: not above the average in rank or status
a common soldier
6
: not privileged or elite
"… the common folks … live and die unnoticed." L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz
L. Frank Baum, The Marvelous Land of Oz7
: expected from polite and decent people
common courtesy
common
2 of 2noun
: land (as a park) owned and used by a community
Medical Definition
common
adjective
com·mon ˈkäm-ən
: formed of or dividing into two or more branches
the common facial vein
common iliac vessels
Legal Definition
common 1 of 2
adjective
com·mon
1
a
: of or relating to a community at large : public
common defense
b
: known to the community
a common thief
2
: belonging to or shared by two or more persons or things or by all members of a group
when the insured and the beneficiary perish in a common disaster
common areas of the building
3
: of or relating to common stock
common shares
common
2 of 2noun
1
plural capitalized : house of commons
2
: the legal right of taking a profit in another's land in common with the owner or others
the common of estovers
the common of pasture
3
: a piece of land subject to common use: as
a
: land jointly owned and used especially for pasture
b
: a public open area in a municipality
4
: a condition of shared ownership : a condition in which a right is shared with an interest held by another person
held the estate in common
see also tenancy in common at tenancy compare severalty sense 1 5
: common stock at stock
common
adjective
1
as in ubiquitous
often observed or encountered horse ranches are a common sight in that part of the state Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- ubiquitous
- usual
- commonplace
- familiar
- household
- ordinary
- frequent
- general
- prevailing
- everyday
- prevalent
- routine
- normal
- standard
- common or garden
- popular
- quotidian
- garden-variety
- universal
- mandatory
- regular
- continuous
- a dime a dozen
- constant
- recurrent
- endemic
- obligatory
- rampant
- perennial
- continual
- repeated
- incessant
- unceasing
- ceaseless
- de rigueur
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unusual
- uncommon
- rare
- extraordinary
- seldom
- unfamiliar
- infrequent
- abnormal
- unnatural
- occasional
- irregular
- sporadic
- intermittent
- aberrant
2
as in ordinary
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events just a common house cat but an extraordinary friend Synonyms & Similar Words
- ordinary
- normal
- usual
- typical
- commonplace
- average
- standard
- familiar
- customary
- everyday
- unremarkable
- prosaic
- unexceptional
- routine
- expected
- popular
- workaday
- regular
- run-of-the-mill
- cut-and-dry
- garden-variety
- cut-and-dried
- standard-issue
- plain
- frequent
- trivial
- predictable
- homely
- par for the course
- vulgar
- unimportant
- natural
- unextraordinary
- insignificant
- habitual
- wonted
- plain-Jane
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unusual
- strange
- extraordinary
- peculiar
- odd
- abnormal
- exceptional
- rare
- atypical
- curious
- funny
- anomalous
- quaint
- scarce
- irregular
- aberrant
- untypical
- queer
- bizarre
- weird
- prominent
- wild
- fantastic
- unique
- notable
- outrageous
- outstanding
- phenomenal
- idiosyncratic
- fantastical
- striking
- unconventional
- unorthodox
- eccentric
- conspicuous
- out-of-the-way
- wacky
- oddball
- salient
- singular
- offbeat
- unprecedented
- freakish
- nonconformist
- whacky
- unparalleled
- outré
- signal
- novel
- recherché
- unexampled
- freak
- kooky
- way-out
- far-out
- kookie
- Kafkaesque
3
as in general
belonging or relating to the whole facts of common knowledge Synonyms & Similar Words
- general
- generic
- universal
- overall
- broad
- widespread
- wide
- global
- blanket
- extensive
- pervasive
- collective
- ubiquitous
- overarching
- comprehensive
- sweeping
- broad-brush
- across-the-board
- wholesale
- worldwide
- aggregate
- broad-gauged
- complete
- full
- all-embracing
- plenary
- broadscale
- planetary
- broad-gauge
- inclusionary
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- particular
- individual
- component
- constituent
- local
- partial
- regional
- fragmentary
- localized
- divisional
- sectional
- cross-sectional
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 Synonyms & Similar Words
- low
- plebeian
- humble
- ignoble
- vulgar
- poor
- inferior
- proletarian
- lowly
- simple
- mean
- unwashed
- lowborn
- lower-class
- prole
- baseborn
- lumpen
- bourgeois
- low-life
- plain
- middle-class
- working-class
- déclassé
- downscale
- down-market
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- great
- noble
- high
- aristocratic
- lofty
- gentle
- prominent
- notable
- genteel
- grand
- patrician
- highborn
- eminent
- upper-class
- highbred
- blue-blooded
- illustrious
- upper-crust
- wellborn
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 Synonyms & Similar Words
- general
- prevailing
- popular
- majority
- predominant
- overall
- public
- unanimous
- ruling
- received
- usual
- typical
- prevalent
- present
- vulgar
- dominant
- widespread
- universal
- characteristic
- current
- contemporary
- familiar
- pervasive
- well-known
- shared
- household
- communal
- pop
- everyday
- preponderant
- rife
- pandemic
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- uncommon
- unusual
- rare
- special
- strange
- unknown
- unique
- peculiar
- distinctive
- individual
- unpopular
- separate
- personal
- private
- idiosyncratic
- especial
- singular
- nonpublic
6
as in collective
used or done by a number of people as a group used a common bathroom while at the campground Synonyms & Similar Words
- collective
- joint
- collaborative
- combined
- shared
- mutual
- communal
- united
- cooperative
- multiple
- concerted
- public
- pooled
- conjoint
- general
- reciprocal
- generic
- synergistic
- bilateral
- symbiotic
- conjunct
- mass
- consensual
- popular
- universal
- synergic
- two-way
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- individual
- single
- personal
- exclusive
- solitary
- several
- sole
- unilateral
- private
- particular
- separate
- special
- independent
- one-sided
- specialized
- one-way
- esoteric
- one-man
7
as in decent
of average to below average quality has a common singing voice that's good enough for performing at those venues Synonyms & Similar Words
- ordinary
- decent
- satisfactory
- medium
- adequate
- acceptable
- indifferent
- fair
- reasonable
- middling
- nice
- mediocre
- good
- run-of-the-mill
- sufficient
- passable
- run-of-the-mine
- modest
- all right
- tolerable
- fine
- respectable
- minimal
- so-so
- second-rate
- second-class
- alright
- moderate
- run-of-mine
- unexceptional
- okay
- sufficing
- presentable
- OK
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- special
- great
- excellent
- outstanding
- optimal
- superior
- distinguished
- exceptional
- classic
- optimum
- prime
- splendid
- maximum
- terrific
- supreme
- marvelous
- marvellous
- exquisite
- superb
- fantastic
- choice
- top
- matchless
- nifty
- fabulous
- stellar
- superlative
- grand
- sensational
- par excellence
- preeminent
- capital
- peerless
- sterling
- swell
- unparalleled
- unmatched
- inadequate
- insufficient
- unsurpassed
- lacking
- first-class
- first-rate
- top-notch
- unacceptable
- number one
- unsatisfactory
- tip-top
- deficient
- wanting
- No. 1
- A1
8
as in poor
of low quality furniture of common workmanship that did not justify the high prices Synonyms & Similar Words
- poor
- terrible
- bad
- cheap
- inferior
- coarse
- rotten
- useless
- wretched
- worthless
- shoddy
- mediocre
- lousy
- miserable
- crappy
- cheesy
- rubbishy
- junky
- trumpery
- counterfeit
- trashy
- execrable
- sleazy
- bum
- fake
- low-grade
- cheapjack
- gimcrack
- low-rent
- schlock
- schlocky
- shlocky
- second-rate
- indifferent
- valueless
- showy
- lackluster
- tawdry
- cut-rate
- el cheapo
- bargain-basement
- meretricious
- ostentatious
- shlock
- kitschy
- shabby
- flashy
- gaudy
- swank
- glitzy
- tacky
- seedy
- kitsch
- garish
- sham
- phony
- brummagem
- swanky
- second-class
- splashy
- ultracheap
- phoney
- supercheap
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- good
- excellent
- superior
- fine
- elegant
- handsome
- tasteful
- high-grade
- first-class
- first-rate
- top-notch
- refined
- polished
- handcrafted
9
as in vulgar
lacking in refinement or good taste embarrassed by the common manners of his new in-laws Synonyms & Similar Words
- vulgar
- crass
- rude
- coarse
- crude
- gross
- rough
- low
- clumsy
- uncouth
- lowbrow
- rugged
- uncultured
- incult
- raffish
- uncultivated
- unrefined
- unsophisticated
- unpolished
- tasteless
- illiberal
- ill-bred
- lowbred
- roughneck
- insensible
- cloddish
- rustic
- rough-hewn
- ungentlemanly
- loutish
- indelicate
- boorish
- lumpish
- barbarous
- clownish
- thoughtless
- inconsiderate
- insensitive
- inelegant
- churlish
- countrified
- provincial
- uncivilized
- rustical
- lubberly
- barbaric
- tacky
- oafish
- animallike
- graceless
- mannerless
- unmannerly
- countryfied
- unmannered
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- civilized
- cultivated
- aristocratic
- smooth
- elegant
- genteel
- cultured
- refined
- tasteful
- sensitive
- polished
- graceful
- patrician
- ultrarefined
- sophisticated
- courtly
- well-bred
- restrained
- thoughtful
- gracious
- considerate
- urbane
- citified
Synonym Chooser
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
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
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
While in some cases nearly identical to common, plain is likely to suggest homely simplicity.
plain hard-working people
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
Vulgar, otherwise similar to popular, is likely to carry derogatory connotations (as of inferiority or coarseness).
souvenirs designed to appeal to the vulgar taste