Dictionary

commune en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• kŏm'yo͞on (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˈkɑmjuːn/ (US)
• käm'yo͞on (US)
• /ˈkɒmjuːn/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English commune, comune, from Old French comune, commune, from Medieval Latin commūnia, from Latin commūne (“community, state”), from commūnis (“common”). Doublet of comune. See also community, communion, common.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community.
   • The town of Chu-chou in Hunan Province, carrying out the great directive of Chairman Mao that "educated youths must go to the villages," has put into practice factory-commune links, and under the leadership of cadres, has made a collective settlement of educated youths in commune and brigade farms, forest areas, and tea plantations. 1975, Peter J. Seybolt, editor, The Rustication of Urban Youth in China, published 2015, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 148:
2. (countable, uncountable) A local political division in many European countries as well as their former colonies (such as Chile and Vietnam).
3. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) The commonalty; the common people.
4. (obsolete, uncountable) Communion; sympathetic conversation between friends.
   • For days of happy commune dead. 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “(please specify |part=Prologue or Epilogue, or |canto=I to CXXIX)”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
5. (countable, historical, uncountable) A self-governing city or league of citizens.
   • In 1117 the commune and archbishop had separate consuls at Milan. 1997, David Nicholas, The Growth of the Medieval City: From Late Antiquity to the Early Fourteenth Century, →ISBN, page 161:

Forms

Deriveds

urban-rural commune · communise · excommune · communer · intercommune · house-commune · communize · people's commune

Translations (62)

pl gmina (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · it comuna (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · cmn 市镇 (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · fi kunta (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · pt freguesia (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · he קיבוץ \ קִבּוּץ (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · sv kommun (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · pt município (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · sjd ва̄лшэгк (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · sl občina (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · yue 市镇 (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · io komono (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · sq komunë (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · co cumuna (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · da kommune (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · km សង្កាត់ (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · ro municipiu (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · bg община́ (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · sh о̏пћина (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · is sveitarfélag (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · el κοινότητα (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · co cumune (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · frp comena (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · cs obec (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · he קבוצה \ קְבוּצָה (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · tr komün (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · es comuna (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · km សង្កាត់ (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · hy կոմունա (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · cmn 社 (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · fa کمون (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · sv byalag (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · mg kaominina (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · bg кому́на (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · id komune (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · mk општина (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · uk громада (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · sk obec (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · ru общи́на (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · fa دهستان (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · hy համայնք (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · ru общи́на (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · it comune (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · lt savivaldybė (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · es comuna (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · km ឃុំ (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · vi xã (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · ro comună (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · ar مَشَاعِيَّة (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · de Gemeinde (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · de Kommune (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · ru комму́на (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · oc comuna (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · fr commune (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · lb Gemeng (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · sh ȍpćina (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · el κοινόβιο (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community) · nl gemeente (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · id komune (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · km ឃុំ (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · es municipio (local political division in many European countries and their former colonies) · fi kommuuni (small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community)

commune en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /kəˈmjuːn/
• (US) audio
• kəmyo͞on'

Etymology

From Middle English communen, comunen, from Old French comuner (formed from comun (“common”)) and comunier (“to share”) (from Latin commūnico). Doublet of communicate.

Meanings

1. To converse together with sympathy and confidence; to interchange sentiments or feelings; to take counsel.
   • I would commune with you of such things / That want no ear but yours. c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
2. (followed by with, intransitive) To communicate (with) spiritually; to be together (with); to contemplate or absorb.
   • He spent a week in the backcountry, communing with nature.
3. (intransitive) To receive the communion.
   • Namely, in these things, in prohibiting that none should commune alone, in making the People whole Communers, or in suffering them to Commune under both kinds […] 1681, Gilbert Burnet, “[A Collection of Records, and Original Papers; with Other Instruments Referred to in the Second Part of the History of the Reformation of the Church of England.] Book I.”, in The History of the Reformation of the Church of England. The Second Part, […], London: […] T[homas] H[odgkin] for Richard Chiswell, […], →OCLC, page 207:

Forms