Yahoo Web Search

Search results

1. Dictionary

   common

   /ˈkɒmən/

   adjective

   • 1. occurring, found, or done often; prevalent: "salt and pepper are the two most common seasonings" Similar usualordinarycustomaryhabitualfamiliarregularfrequentrepeatedrecurrentroutineeverydaydailyday-to-dayquotidianstandardtypicalconventionalstockstereotypedpredictablecommonplacemundanerun-of-the-millliterary:wontedwidespreadgeneraluniversalpopularmainstreamprevalentprevailingrifeestablishedwell establishedconventionaltraditionaltraditionalistorthodoxacceptedin circulationin forcein vogueOpposite unusualrare
   • ▪ (of an animal or plant) found or living in relatively large numbers; not rare: "you might spot less common birds such as the great spotted woodpecker"
   • ▪ denoting the most widespread or typical species of an animal or plant: "the common gull"
   • ▪ ordinary; of ordinary qualities; without special rank or position: "the dwellings of common people" Similar ordinarynormaltypicalaverageunexceptionalrun-of-the-millplainsimple
   • ▪ (of a quality) of a sort or level to be generally expected: "common decency"
   • ▪ of the most familiar type: "the common or vernacular name"
   • 2. shared by, coming from, or done by two or more people, groups, or things: "the two republics' common border" Similar collectivecommunalcommunitypublicpopulargeneralsharedjointcombinedOpposite privateindividual
   • ▪ belonging to or involving the whole of a community or the public at large: "common land" Similar collectivecommunalcommunitypublicpopulargeneralsharedjointcombinedOpposite privateindividual
   • ▪ belonging to two or more quantities.
   • 3. showing a lack of taste and refinement supposedly typical of the lower classes; vulgar: British "she's so common" Similar uncouthvulgarcoarseroughunsavouryboorishrudeimpoliteill-manneredunladylikeungentlemanlyill-breduncivilizedunsophisticatedunrefinedphilistineprimitivesavagebrutishoafishgrosslowlylowlow-bornlow-rankinglow-classinferiorhumbleignobleproletarianplebeianinformal:plebbyslobbishcloddishclodhoppingcommon as muckarchaic:basebornOpposite refinednoble
   • 4. (in Latin, Dutch, and certain other languages) of or denoting a gender of nouns that are conventionally regarded as masculine or feminine, contrasting with neuter.
   • ▪ (in English) denoting a noun that refers to individuals of either sex (e.g. teacher).
   • 5. (of a syllable) able to be either short or long.
   • 6. (of a crime) of lesser severity: "common assault"

   noun

   • 1. a piece of open land for public use: "we spent the morning tramping over the common looking for flowers"
   • 2. common sense. informal British
   • 3. (in the Christian Church) a form of service used for each of a group of occasions.
   • 4. a person's right over another's land, e.g. for pasturage or mineral extraction.

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French comun (adjective), from Latin communis.

   Derivatives

   • 1. commonness noun

   Scrabble Points: 12

   • C

     3

   • O

     1

   • M

     3

   • M

     3

   • O

     1

   • N

     1

   Powered by Oxford Dictionaries

   More definitions, origin and scrabble points