community
/kəˈmjuːnɪti
/noun (plural communities)
1A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common: Montreal’s Italian community the gay community in London the scientific community...
- All of the doubts of the scientific and intelligence community were kept from the public.
- I know I've been a responsible member of the African-American, gay, and entertainment communities.
- These figures do not take into account a growing lesbian and gay Internet community.
Synonyms
group, section, body, company, set, circle, clique, coterie, ring, band, faction
informal gang, bunch
1.1A group of people living together and practising common ownership: a community of nuns...
- Once a year I spend a weekend at a Buddhist monastery populated by a community of monks and nuns.
- They wanted to build a closed community where they could practise polygamy away from prying eyes.
- Paula expended her inheritance on building and supporting the twin communities and led her community of women with sensitivity and humility.
Synonyms
brotherhood, sisterhood, fraternity, confraternity, sorority, colony, institution, order, body, circle, association, society, league
rare sodality
1.2A particular area or place considered together with its inhabitants: a rural community local communities...
- We would love to have the involvement from towns, villages and communities from the surrounding areas that do not have a parade themselves.
- North Yorkshire and East Riding County Councils cover similar demographic areas - market towns and rural communities.
- So far, the project, which targets rural communities in poor areas of urban centers, has been implemented in three districts.
Synonyms
district, region, zone, area, local area, locality, locale, neighbourhood
informal neck of the woods
British informal manor
North American informal hood, nabe, turf
1.3A body of nations or states unified by common interests: [in names]: the European Community...
- The party has perceived Britain as belonging to a community of nations with common interests and values.
- We do need a strong community of European nations where matters of common interest can be addressed.
- Being part of the community of nations carries with it certain responsibilities.
1.4 (the community) The people of a district or country considered collectively, especially in the context of social values and responsibilities; society: preparing prisoners for life back in the community...
- Isn't it your responsibility to ensure the community receives value for money?
- Historically, the family has been the basic social unit of the community.
- They taught the young ones how to behave, about values in the community.
Synonyms
population, populace, people, citizenry, public, general public, body politic, collective;
society, nation, state, country, realm, commonwealth, homeland, fatherland, motherland;
residents, inhabitants, citizens
humorous denizens, burghers
1.5 [as modifier] Denoting a worker or resource designed to serve the people of a particular area: community health services...
- Acomb's three main ward areas were regularly patrolled by community officers, or ward managers.
- During his time there he worked as a patrol officer and community constable.
- The next job was to secure the services of a community artist to assist in the tuition.
2 [mass noun] The condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common: the sense of community that organized religion can provide...
- His daughter may have been more outgoing but she shared his sense of community.
- It is hard to think of a local scene without a locus, to have a sense of community without a common sense of place.
- It was a celebration of community through shared storytelling and of the human ability to create art.
2.1 [in singular] A similarity or identity: the law presupposes a community of interest between an employer and employees...
- There is a real community of interests here, if only both sides would see it.
- He understood that the country and Nazi Germany shared a community of aims.
- Under this part a group is a group that shares a distinct community of interest.
Synonyms
similarity, similar nature, likeness, sameness, comparability, correspondence, agreement, alignment, parallel, parallelism, closeness, affinity
archaic semblance
2.2Joint ownership or liability: the community of goods...
- It is religious belief, religious practice (ritual), and community of goods that holds them together.
- Property represented a problem for medieval economic thinkers because both scripture and natural law sanctioned the community of goods.
Synonyms
joint ownership, common ownership, shared possession;
joint liability, joint participation
3 Ecology A group of interdependent plants or animals growing or living together in natural conditions or occupying a specified habitat: communities of insectivorous birds...
- In the natural environment, however, plants grow in communities and it is under these conditions that the root proliferation response has evolved.
- The park's current flora is analyzed by habitat and four plant communities are described and discussed.
- The members of this family are relatively common in Carboniferous faunal communities.
Phrases
the international community
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French comunete, reinforced by its source, Latin communitas, from communis (see common).