common en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈkɔmən/ (Australia, British, Scotland, Southern, Standard)
- /ˈkɑmɪn/ (General-American)
- (US) audio
- [ˈkɔ̟mən] ~ [ˈkɞ̠mən] (New-Zealand)
- (General-American) audio
- kä'mən (General-American)
- kŏm'ən
- /ˈkɒmən/ (New-Zealand)
- /ˈkɒmʌn/ (obsolete)
- /ˈkɑmən/ (General-American)
- audio SSB
- kŏm'ŭn (obsolete)
- /ˈkɒmən/ (Northern-England, Received-Pronunciation, Wales)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey- Proto-Indo-European *ḱom-moy-ni-s Proto-Italic *kommoinis Old Latin comoinis Latin commūnis Anglo-Norman comunbor. Middle English comun English common From Middle English comun, from Anglo-Norman comun, from Old French comun (rare in the Gallo-Romance languages, but reinforced as a Carolingian calque of Proto-West Germanic *gamainī (“common”) in Old French), from Latin commūnis (“common, public, general”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱom-moy-ni-s (“held in common”), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“to exchange, change”). Displaced native Middle English imene, ȝemǣne (“common, general, universal”) (from Old English ġemǣne (“common, universal”)), Middle English mene, mǣne (“mean, common”) (also from Old English ġemǣne (“common, universal”)), Middle English samen, somen (“in common, together”) (from Old English samen (“together”)). Doublet of gmina and mean.
Meanings
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Mutual; shared by more than one.
Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins and back premises, accompanied by a sort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer doing billets.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XIX, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:And now a common enemy—pollution—promises to press the littoral nations of the Baltic into common cause.
1989 May, Priit J. Vesilind, “The Baltic: Arena of Power”, in National Geographic, volume 175, number 5, page 605:They shared a common dread that he would begin moaning.
1961 November 10, Joseph Heller, “The Soldier in White”, in Catch-22 […], New York, N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, →OCLC, page 169:Winning the championship is an aim common to the two competitors.
The two competitors have the common aim of winning the championship.
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(of a quality) Existing among virtually all people; universal.
common knowledge, common decency, common sense
No man of common humanity, no man who had any value for his character, could be capable of it.
1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter XVII, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 197:
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Occurring or happening regularly or frequently; usual.
Thus it is sayde in the cōmon vsage.
1530?, Robert Wyer, This boke is named the beaulte of women : translated out of Frenche in to Englysshe., page 8:That loss is common would not make My own less bitter, rather more: Too common! Never morning wore To evening, but some heart did break.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto VI”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola. A recent study explored the ecological variables that may contribute to bats’ propensity to harbor such zoonotic diseases by comparing them with another order of common reservoir hosts: rodents.
2013 May-June, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 193:It is common to find sharks off this coast.
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Found in large numbers or in a large quantity; usual.
In our daily-diary studies, one source of awe was by far the most common: other people. Regular acts of courage—bystanders defusing fights, subordinates standing up to abusive power holders—inspired awe.
2023 January 3, Dacher Keltner, “The Quiet Profundity of Everyday Awe”, in Jeffrey Goldberg, editor, The Atlantic, Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Mar 2023:Machine learning was the most common method of AI listed in patent requests.
2019 February 3, “UN Study: China, US, Japan Lead World AI Development”, in Voice of America, archived from the original on 07 Feb 2019:"Commoner" used to be commoner, but "more common" is now more common.
It differs from the common blackbird in the size of its beak.
Sharks are common in these waters.
Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are […] . (Common gem materials not addressed in this article include amber, amethyst, chalcedony, garnet, lazurite, malachite, opals, peridot, rhodonite, spinel, tourmaline, turquoise and zircon.)
2012 March 14, Lee A. Groat, “Gemstones”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 14 Jun 2012, page 128:
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Simple, ordinary or vulgar.
This fact was infamous / And ill beseeming any common man, / Much more a knight, a captain and a leader.
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:above the vulgar flight of common souls
1768, Arthur Murphy, Zenobia:Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, […] naval officers of all countries, and the Governments of several states on the two continents, were deeply interested in the matter.
1873, Jules Verne, chapter I, in [anonymous], transl., Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas; […], James R. Osgood edition, Boston, Mass.: Geo[rge] M[urray] Smith & Co., →OCLC, part I, page 3:the common folk
Mr. Crackit (for he it was) had no very great quantity of hair, either upon his head or face, but what he had was of a reddish dye, and tortured into long corkscrew curls, through which he occasionally thrust some very dirty fingers ornamented with large common rings.
1838, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “The Burglary”, in Oliver Twist; […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 35:If it be asked wherein the utility of some modern extensions of mathematics lies, it must be acknowledged that it is at present difficult to see how they are ever to become applicable to questions of common life or physical science.
1893, Florian Cajori, A History of Mathematics:She was frankly disappointed. For some reason she had expected to discover a burglar of one or another accepted type—either a dashing cracksman in full-blown evening dress, lithe, polished, pantherish, or a common yegg, a red-eyed, unshaven, burly brute in the rags and tatters of a tramp.
1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter III (Accessory After the Fact), page 382, column 2:
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As part of the vernacular name of a species, usually denoting that it is abundant or widely known.
the common daisy (Bellis perennis)
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Vernacular, referring to the name of a kind of plant or animal.
common name vs. scientific name.
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Arising from use or tradition, as opposed to being created by a legislative body.
common law
As to eleemoſynary corporations, by the dotation the founder and his heirs are of common right the legal viſitors, to ſee that that property is rightly employed, which would otherwiſe have deſcended to the viſitor himſelf: […]
1765, William Blackstone, “Of Corporations”, in Commentaries on the Laws of England, book I (Of the Rights of Persons), Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 469:
- Of, pertaining or belonging to the common gender.
- Of or pertaining to common nouns as opposed to proper nouns.
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(obsolete) Profane; polluted.
What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 10:15:
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(obsolete) Given to lewd habits; prostitute.
a Dame who her self was as Common as the King's High Way
1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| commoner | Degree=Cmp | common | lexicographic |
| commonest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| most common | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
extraordinary · booky · quaint · cherry · strange · uncouth · yampy · weirdsome · clean as a bean · devoutful · unique · incongruitous · curious · selcouth · sanctified · sacred · rare · unusual · divine · virginal · chaste · singular · unearthly · singular · peculiar · alien · individual · spick-and-span · forby · peculiar · clean as a hound's tooth · one and only · sanctimonious · discrepant · exceptional · rare · proper · queer as a clockwork orange · abnormal · particular · sole · discrete · non-common · heteroclite · individual · superrare · deviant · unsullied · fey · individual · lone · errant · rum · unitary · chaste · singular · fremd · queer as Dick's hatband · outré · dearthy · hallowed · only · noteworthy · weird · selly · undeflowered · abnormal · special · pure · spotless · unwonted · uncommon · first and last · exceptional · raresome · unexpected · virgin · specific · unsoiled · exceptional · single · personal · rare · uncommon · immaculate · concrete · geason · scantling · rare · freaky · few and far between · queer as a nine bob note · as queer as Dick's hatband · clean as a whistle · rare · extraordinary · pristine · unconventional · hallowed · uncanny · heavenly · celestial · eldritch · unsullied · technical term · seld · scarce · rummy · stainless · strange · exotic · solitary · one · particular · endangered · special · aberrant · kooky · monstrous · clean as a new pin · vestal · uncommon · selcouth · infrequent · few and far between · seldom · bizarre · odd · unreasonable · funny · uncommon · clean as a new penny · unconventional · clean · freak · squeaky clean · irregular · unfucked · exceptional · queer as a coot · atypical · eerie · holy · in short supply · nonstandard · uncommon · individual · immaculate · outlandish · unfrequent · out of the ordinary · peculiar · seld · anomalous · freakish · hinky · incongruous · extraordinary · queer · blessed · queer as a three dollar bill · godly · pristine · scant · unusual · trippy
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
seasonal · hackneyed · supercommon · boring
Relateds
male (gender of coalescence of masculine of feminine) · female (gender of coalescence of masculine of feminine) · frequency · normal · mediocre · masculine (gender of coalescence of masculine of feminine) · feminine (gender of coalescence of masculine of feminine) · neuter (gender of coalescence of masculine of feminine)
Synonyms
common-and-garden · standard issue · corrupted · medial · ecumenical · pedestrian · widespread · nonsingular · united · tainted · garden variety · loose · routine · easy · generic · extensive · general · commonplace · workaday · lusty · ordinary · contaminated · shared · unchaste · common as pig tracks · common-or-garden · prevalent · mutual · disseminated · ordinary · usual · unremarkable · far-flung · common · customary · prevalent · common-or-garden · appellative · universal · promiscuous · adulterated · libidinous · common · regnant · vulgar · polluted · habitual · ubiquitous · common as bums · everyday · nonspecific · workaday · slack · quotidian · lustful · consistent · unspecific · systemic · conventional · impure · unstrange · spread out · epicene · universal · natural · ubiquitous · mundane · unexceptional · bog-standard · congruent · bog-standard · normal · profane · sophisticated · average · run-of-the-mill · impure · common · corporate · wanton · predominant · standard · common · wakeaday · pervasive · basic · par for the course · mutual · unhallowed · liberal · par for the course · mishallowed · two a penny · average · catholic · plain · usual · regular · mixed · everyday · common as dirt · general · unholy · abandoned · corrupted · expected · fast · easy · riggish · normal · common · common as muck · wanton · typical · par · unparticular · impious · lewd · unsingular · everyday · unhallowed · regular · routinary · plain · nonrare · joint · tainted · collective · usual · prevailing · routine · extensive · licentious · common · dime a dozen · quotidian · common · lascivious · basic · lustful · rife · common · general · wappened · plain vanilla · improminent · catholic · frequent · standard · ten a penny · shared
Translations (287)
uk звича́йний (usual) · gl común (usual) · hy սովորական (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · no felles (mutual) · az ortaq (mutual) · ga coitianta (usual) · ru взаи́мный (mutual) · vi chung (mutual) · ko 통상 (usual) · nl gewoon (ordinary) · he רגיל (ordinary) · lt bendras (mutual) · it ordinario (ordinary) · de gemeinsam (mutual) · fa شایع (usual) · pt (género) comum (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · grc ἀγελαῖος (ordinary) · de häufig (usual) · hu mindennapos (usual) · sa साधारण (ordinary) · ru о́бщий род (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · ru о́бщий (mutual) · la communis (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · da fælleskøn (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · da sædvanlig (usual) · es común (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · ja 通常 (usual) · ca epicè (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · gd coitcheann (usual) · fr ordinaire (ordinary) · am የተለመደ (usual) · fr commun (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · te సామాన్య (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · da vanlig (usual) · hi साधारण (ordinary) · fi tavallinen (ordinary) · hu közismert (usual) · eo komuna (mutual) · hu hétköznapi (ordinary) · pl powszedni (usual) · it comune (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · yi בשותּפֿותדיק (mutual) · de utral (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · cs společný (mutual) · gl común (ordinary) · vi thường (ordinary) · sq i përgjithshem (mutual) · cv ахаль (ordinary) · de Gemein- (mutual) · hu közös (mutual) · tr yaygın (usual) · pl obiegowy (usual) · sv vanlig (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · fi yhteinen (mutual) · nl gewoon (usual) · ru обыкнове́нный (usual) · pt comum (mutual) · no vanlig (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · fr commun (usual) · hsb zhromadny (mutual) · nl gemene (usual) · es común (mutual) · it comune (usual) · de verbreitet (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · ang ġewunelīċ (usual) · ms biasa (usual) · wa kimon (mutual) · fr commun (mutual) · mi pātahi (mutual) · he נפוץ (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · he מָצוּי (usual) · pl wspólny (mutual) · gd cumanta (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · eo ofta (usual) · ca comú (mutual) · ru просто́й (ordinary) · ro obișnuit (usual) · ja ざら (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · pl zwykły (usual) · cs běžný (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · oc comun (usual) · eo ofta (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · nl gewoon (mutual) · alt орток (mutual) · sv vanlig (ordinary) · mi pūnoa (mutual) · de normal (usual) · it grossolano (ordinary) · ja 相互 (mutual) · gl común (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · cs běžný (usual) · ru повсеме́стный (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · ang gemǣne (mutual) · pl męsko-żeński (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · fa معمولی (ordinary) · ca comú (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · oc comun (mutual) · id umum (ordinary) · hi साधारण (usual) · bg обикновен (usual) · gl común (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · he שכיח (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · sip སྐྱུད (usual) · el συνηθισμένος (usual) · es guashquero (usual) · hy ընդհանուր (mutual) · hi परस्पर (mutual) · cmn 相互 (mutual) · tr yaygın (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · be звы́клы (usual) · pl zwyczajny (ordinary) · ja 普通 (usual) · gd cumanta (mutual) · sv gemensam (mutual) · la genus commune (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · fi yleinen (usual) · hu egyező (mutual) · hu mindennapos (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · cy cyffredin (usual) · sv vanlig (usual) · fi yleinen (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · ja 平常 (usual) · hu megszokott (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · enm comun (usual) · vi thông thường (usual) · hu gyakori (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · enm comun (ordinary) · hu azonos (mutual) · de gewöhnlich (ordinary) · he משותף (mutual) · hnn adok (usual) · de durchschnittlich (ordinary) · it comune (mutual) · ca comú (usual) · pt comum (ordinary) · pl pospolity (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · nn felleskjønn (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · io ordinara (usual) · ro comun (usual) · gl común (mutual) · vi thường (usual) · el κοινός (usual) · cmn 共通 (mutual) · bg общ (mutual) · pt comum (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · gd cumanta (usual) · hu szokványos (usual) · km សម្ទាយ (ordinary) · de nicht ungewöhnlich (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · ast común (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · lad komun (usual) · km ទូទៅ (usual) · nb felleskjønn (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · got 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (mutual) · hu megszokott (usual) · ka ხშირი (usual) · el κοινός (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · gd coitcheann (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · hu szokásos (usual) · hy սովորական (ordinary) · eo ordinara (usual) · ms sepunya (mutual) · ru повседне́вный (usual) · ru обы́чный (usual) · ar شَائِع (usual) · ko 공통 (mutual) · dsb gromadny (mutual) · fi yleinen (ordinary) · sq i përbashkët (mutual) · cmn 平常 (usual) · ru распространённый (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · hy սովորական (usual) · am ተራ (usual) · ru обыкнове́нный (ordinary) · nl gewone (mutual) · no vanlig (ordinary) · ang ġewunelīċ (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · tr ortak (mutual) · hy հասարակ (ordinary) · cs obvyklý (usual) · dsb zgromadny (mutual) · fa رایج (usual) · az şərik (mutual) · la commūnis (mutual) · io komuna (mutual) · gd coitcheann (mutual) · nl gemeen (mutual) · ka ჩვეულებრივი (ordinary) · no vanlig (usual) · nl commuun (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · da almindelig (usual) · te మామూలు (usual) · ca neutre (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · pl wzajemny (mutual) · ang ġewunelīċ (ordinary) · be звычайны (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · qu khuska (mutual) · enm comun (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · nl gewone (usual) · fi tavallinen (usual) · fi yleinen (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · dsb pógromadny (mutual) · ko 상호 (mutual) · de gewöhnlich (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · de häufig (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · ka ჩვეულებრივი (usual) · bg разпространен (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · es común (ordinary) · sa सामान्य (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · pt comum (usual) · tl pambalana (mutual) · ca ordinari (ordinary) · es común (usual) · pl powszechny (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · ca vulgar (ordinary) · pl potoczny (usual) · cv вӑтам (ordinary) · da fælles (mutual) · tl balana (mutual) · oc comun (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · gd àbhaisteach (usual) · nl gemeen (usual) · ms sama (mutual) · es guashquero (ordinary) · de gemeinschaftlich (mutual) · be агу́льны (mutual) · fr commun (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · ga coiteann (ordinary) · he שכיח (usual) · te సామాన్య (ordinary) · wa ordinaire (usual) · ota بیاغی (ordinary) · hi सामान्य (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · lv kopīgs (mutual) · sv utral (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · sv allmän (mutual) · uk зви́чний (usual) · hi सामान्य (usual) · de gemein (ordinary) · eo normala (usual) · eo vulgara (ordinary) · uk зага́льний (mutual) · hu megegyező (mutual) · vi bình thường (ordinary) · fa معمول (usual) · cmn 共同 (mutual) · hu hétköznapi (usual) · pl pospolity (usual) · ka ხშირი (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · hu közönséges (ordinary) · it volgare (ordinary) · grc κοινός (mutual) · hu átlagos (ordinary) · nl veelvoorkomend (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · ast común (mutual) · enm comun (mutual) · sl skúpen (mutual) · ba уртаҡ (mutual) · el κοινός (mutual) · de gewöhnlich (usual) · ru обы́денный (usual) · pl wspólny (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · hu közös (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · it comune (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · cs obyčejný (ordinary) · ru обы́чный (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · he מָצוּי (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · ia commun (usual) · ast común (usual) · ia commun (mutual) · ar شَائِع (found in large numbers or in a large quantity) · tl pambalana (usual) · ja 共通 (mutual) · ro uzual (usual) · eo ordinara (ordinary) · la commūnis (usual) · ms biasa (ordinary) · pl potoczny (ordinary) · nl gemene (mutual) · tl pambalana (grammar: of the gender resulting from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine genders) · ro comun (mutual) · ky күнүмдүк (usual) · bg обикновен (ordinary) · cmn 通常 (usual) · tl balana (usual) · ga coiteann (mutual) · el αγελαίος (ordinary)