Common — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈkä-mən/ com·mon

Meaning & Definition of Common

Common (adjective)

  1. of or relating to a community at large, public
  2. known to the community
  3. belonging to or shared by two or more individuals or things or by all members of a group

Common (noun)

  1. the common people
  2. a dining hall
  3. the political group or estate comprising the commoners

Common (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. often observed or encountered

    "horse ranches are a common sight in that part of the state"

    similar: common or garden (chiefly British), commonplace, everyday, familiar, frequent, garden-variety, household, ordinary, quotidian, routine, ubiquitous, usual, a dime a dozen
    related: normal, regular, standard, de rigueur, mandatory, obligatory, general, universal, ceaseless, constant, continual, continuous, incessant, unceasing, endemic, popular, prevailing, prevalent, rampant, perennial, recurrent, repeated
    opposite: extraordinary, infrequent, rare, seldom, uncommon, unfamiliar, unusual
    near: aberrant, abnormal, irregular, unnatural, intermittent, occasional, sporadic

  2. being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events

    "just a common house cat but an extraordinary friend"

    similar: average, commonplace, cut-and-dried, everyday, garden-variety, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, standard-issue, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday, par for the course
    related: regular, typical, unextraordinary, familiar, homely, plain, plain-Jane, popular, vulgar, natural, customary, wonted, insignificant, trivial, unimportant, frequent, habitual, expected, predictable
    opposite: abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, unusual
    near: curious, funny, peculiar, quaint, queer, aberrant, anomalous, atypical, irregular, untypical, rare, recherché, scarce, fantastic, phenomenal, bizarre, far-out, Kafkaesque, outrageous, outré, wacky, way-out, weird, wild, eccentric, idiosyncratic, kooky, nonconformist, oddball, offbeat, unconventional, unorthodox, freak, freakish, conspicuous, notable, novel, outstanding, prominent, salient, signal, striking, unexampled, unprecedented, singular, unique, unparalleled

  3. belonging or relating to the whole

    "facts of common knowledge"

    similar: across-the-board, blanket, broad-brush, general, generic, global, overall, universal
    related: all-embracing, broad, broad-gauge, broadscale, comprehensive, extensive, inclusionary, overarching, pervasive, sweeping, ubiquitous, wholesale, wide, widespread, aggregate, collective, complete, full, plenary, planetary, worldwide
    opposite: individual, particular
    near: component, constituent, cross-sectional, divisional, fragmentary, partial, local, localized, regional, sectional

  4. 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"

    similar: baseborn, humble, ignoble, inferior, low, low-life, lowborn, lower-class, lowly, lumpen, mean, plebeian, prole, proletarian, unwashed, vulgar
    related: bourgeois, middle-class, plain, poor, simple, working-class, déclassé, down-market, downscale
    opposite: aristocratic, blue-blooded, genteel, gentle, grand, great, high, highborn, highbred, lofty, noble, patrician, upper-class, upper-crust, wellborn
    near: eminent, illustrious, notable, prominent

  5. held by or applicable to a majority of the people

    "a politician who works not for the special interests but for the common good"

    similar: general, majority, overall, popular, prevailing, public, received, ruling, vulgar
    related: unanimous, universal, pop, everyday, familiar, household, usual, well-known, contemporary, current, present, dominant, predominant, preponderant, characteristic, typical, pandemic, pervasive, prevalent, rife, widespread, communal, shared
    opposite: uncommon, unpopular
    near: rare, strange, unknown, unusual, distinctive, especial, idiosyncratic, peculiar, special, unique, individual, separate, singular, nonpublic, personal, private

  6. used or done by a number of people as a group

    "used a common bathroom while at the campground"

    similar: collaborative, collective, combined, communal, concerted, conjoint, conjunct, cooperative, joint, multiple, mutual, pooled, public, shared, united
    related: bilateral, consensual, reciprocal, symbiotic, synergic, synergistic, two-way, mass, popular, general, generic, universal
    opposite: exclusive, individual, one-man, one-sided, one-way, single, sole, solitary, unilateral
    near: personal, private, independent, separate, several, esoteric, particular, special, specialized

  7. of average to below average quality

    "has a common singing voice that's good enough for performing at those venues"

    similar: fair, indifferent, mediocre, medium, middling, ordinary, passable, run-of-the-mill, run-of-the-mine, second-class, second-rate, so-so
    related: acceptable, adequate, all right, alright, decent, OK, reasonable, satisfactory, sufficient, sufficing, tolerable, moderate, modest, presentable, respectable, minimal, unexceptional, fine, good, nice
    near: A1, capital, choice, classic, distinguished, excellent, exceptional, exquisite, fabulous, fantastic, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, marvelous, matchless, maximum, nifty, number one, optimal, optimum, outstanding, par excellence, peerless, preeminent, prime, sensational, special, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supreme, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, unmatched, unparalleled, unsurpassed, deficient, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, wanting

  8. of low quality

    "furniture of common workmanship that did not justify the high prices"

    similar: bad, bargain-basement, bum, cheap, cheapjack, cheesy, coarse, crappy (slang), cut-rate, el cheapo, execrable, gimcrack, inferior, junky, lousy, low-grade, low-rent, mediocre, miserable, poor, rotten, rubbishy, schlock, second-rate, shoddy, sleazy, terrible, trashy, trumpery, wretched
    related: useless, valueless, worthless, indifferent, lackluster, second-class, brummagem, flashy, garish, gaudy, glitzy, kitsch, kitschy, meretricious, ostentatious, showy, splashy, swank, tawdry, seedy, shabby, tacky, counterfeit, fake, phony, sham, supercheap, ultracheap
    opposite: excellent, fine, first-class, first-rate, good, high-grade, superior, top-notch
    near: elegant, handsome, tasteful, handcrafted, polished, refined

  9. lacking in refinement or good taste

    "embarrassed by the common manners of his new in-laws"

    similar: coarse, crass, crude, gross, ill-bred, illiberal (archaic), incult, insensible, low, lowbred, lowbrow, raffish, rough, rough-hewn, roughneck, rude, rugged, tasteless, uncouth, uncultivated, uncultured, unpolished, unrefined, vulgar
    related: boorish, churlish, cloddish, clownish, loutish, ungentlemanly, clumsy, lubberly, lumpish, oafish, inconsiderate, indelicate, insensitive, thoughtless, countrified, provincial, rustic, unsophisticated, graceless, inelegant, tacky, animallike, barbaric, barbarous, uncivilized, mannerless, unmannered, unmannerly
    opposite: civilized, cultivated, cultured, genteel, polished, refined, smooth, tasteful, ultrarefined, well-bred
    near: aristocratic, courtly, patrician, elegant, graceful, restrained, considerate, gracious, sensitive, thoughtful, citified, sophisticated, urbane

Related Entry: Common denominator (noun)

Common denominator is a different word from Common. The synonyms below are for common denominator, not for common.

  1. a point which two or more things share in common

    "the only common denominator between the novel and the movie allegedly based on it appears to be the name of the main character"

    similar: commonality, congruity, correspondence, parallel, resemblance, similarity, similitude
    related: counterpart, equal, equivalent, analogy, homology
    opposite: dissimilarity
    near: difference, discrepancy, deviance, divergence, incongruence, incongruity, change, modification, variation

Related Entry: Common or garden (adjective)

Common or garden is a different word from Common. The synonyms below are for common or garden, not for common.

  1. often observed or encountered

    "lives in a common or garden row house in a nondescript suburb of London"

    similar: common, commonplace, everyday, familiar, frequent, garden-variety, household, ordinary, quotidian, routine, ubiquitous, usual, a dime a dozen
    related: normal, regular, standard, de rigueur, mandatory, obligatory, general, universal, ceaseless, constant, continual, continuous, incessant, unceasing, endemic, popular, prevailing, prevalent, rampant, perennial, recurrent, repeated
    opposite: extraordinary, infrequent, rare, seldom, uncommon, unfamiliar, unusual
    near: aberrant, abnormal, irregular, unnatural, intermittent, occasional, sporadic

Related Entry: Common sense (noun)

Common sense is a different word from Common. The synonyms below are for common sense, not for common.

  1. the ability to make intelligent decisions especially in everyday matters

    "common sense should tell you not to meet face-to-face with someone who is just an online acquaintance"

    similar: discreetness, discretion, gumption (chiefly dialect), horse sense, levelheadedness, nous (chiefly British), policy, prudence, sense, sensibleness, wisdom, wit
    related: street smarts, farsightedness, forehandedness, foresight, foresightedness, forethoughtfulness, judgment, brains, gray matter, intelligence, logicality, logicalness, practicality, rationality, rationalness, discernment, discrimination, insight, sagacity, sapience, acumen, astuteness, clearheadedness, keenness, penetration, perspicacity, shrewdness, care, caution, circumspection, precaution, premeditation
    opposite: imprudence, indiscretion
    near: shortsightedness, brainlessness, foolishness, half-wittedness, idiocy, senselessness, stupidity, carelessness, heedlessness, unreasonableness

Related Entry: Common law (noun)

Common law is a different word from Common. The synonyms below are for common law, not for common.

  1. as in martial law

    similar: martial law, act, bill, constitution, enactment, law, ordinance, statute, command, commandment, decree, dictate, directive, edict, fiat, ruling, bylaw, ground rule, regulation, rule, amendment, legislation, blue law, prohibition, proscription, restriction, canon, capitulary, encyclical
    opposite: higher law

Related Entry: Common noun (noun)

Common noun is a different word from Common. The synonyms below are for common noun, not for common.

  1. as in count noun, proper noun

    similar: collective noun, count noun, mass noun, proper noun, nominal, noun, substantive

Related Entry: Common nouns (noun)

Common nouns is a different word from Common. The synonyms below are for common nouns, not for common.

  1. as in count nouns, proper nouns

    similar: collective noun, count nouns, mass nouns, proper nouns, nominals, nouns, substantives

Related Entry: Common school (noun)

Common school is a different word from Common. The synonyms below are for common school, not for common.

  1. as in high school, public school

    similar: elementary school, grammar school, high school, junior high school, kindergarten, middle school, primary school, public school, secondary school, senior high school, trade school, training school, academe, academy, school, seminary, boarding school, prep, preparatory school, prep school, charter school, magnet school, minischool, madrassa, Sunday school, yeshiva

Related Entry: Common schools (noun)

Common schools is a different word from Common. The synonyms below are for common schools, not for common.

  1. as in high schools, public schools

    similar: elementary schools, grammar schools, high schools, junior high schools, kindergartens, middle schools, primary schools, public schools, secondary schools, senior high schools, trade schools, training schools, academes, academies, schools, seminaries, boarding schools, preparatory schools, preps, prep schools, charter schools, magnet schools, minischools, madrassas, Sunday schools, yeshivas

Related Entry: Common-law marriage (noun)

Common-law marriage is a different word from Common. The synonyms below are for common-law marriage, not for common.

  1. as in cohabitation

    similar: cohabitation, intermarriage, miscegenation, mixed marriage, remarriage, civil union, domestic partnership, bigamy, polyandry, polygamy, polygyny, attachment, commitment, relationship, monogamy, betrothal, engagement, espousal, hand, pledge, promise, proposal, troth, conjugality, connubiality, marriage, match, matrimony, wedlock
    opposite: annulment, divorce, separation

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Common

The most common words with a similar meaning to Common:

Chiefly British: common or garden
Slang: crappy
Archaic: illiberal
commonplace, everyday, familiar, frequent, garden-variety, household, ordinary, quotidian, routine, ubiquitous, usual, average, cut-and-dried, normal, prosaic, run-of-the-mill, standard, standard-issue, unexceptional, unremarkable, workaday, across-the-board, blanket, broad-brush, general, generic, global, overall, universal, baseborn, humble, ignoble, inferior, low, low-life, lowborn, lower-class, lowly, lumpen, mean

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Common

Words with the opposite meaning of Common:

extraordinary, infrequent, rare, seldom, uncommon, unfamiliar, unusual, abnormal, exceptional, odd, out-of-the-way, strange, individual, particular, aristocratic, blue-blooded, genteel, gentle, grand, great, high, highborn, highbred, lofty, noble, patrician, upper-class, upper-crust, wellborn, unpopular

Related Words for Common

regular, de rigueur, mandatory, obligatory, ceaseless, constant, continual, continuous, incessant, unceasing, endemic, prevalent, rampant, perennial, recurrent, repeated, typical, unextraordinary, homely, plain, plain-Jane, natural, customary, wonted, insignificant, trivial, unimportant, habitual, expected, predictable

Near Antonyms of Common

aberrant, irregular, unnatural, intermittent, occasional, sporadic, curious, funny, peculiar, quaint, queer, anomalous, atypical, untypical, recherché, scarce, fantastic, phenomenal, bizarre, far-out, Kafkaesque, outrageous, outré, wacky, way-out, weird, wild, eccentric, idiosyncratic, kooky

Word Forms of Common

Derived words: commonly (adverb), commonness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Common

Middle English commun, from Anglo-French, from Latin communis mean

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Common

  • Topics: Descriptions / Adjectives

Words & Phrases Containing Common

common carrier, common cattle grub, common cold, common denominator, common difference, common divisor, common dormouse, Common Era

Frequently Asked Questions about Common

What does "Common" mean?

"Common" means of or relating to a community at large, public. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: of or relating to a community at large, public. It has 9 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Common"?

Other words for "Common" include common or garden, commonplace, everyday, familiar, frequent, garden-variety, household and ordinary. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Common" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Common"?

There are 274 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Common". Common alternatives include common or garden, commonplace, everyday, familiar, frequent, garden-variety, household, ordinary, quotidian and routine.

What is the opposite of "Common"?

Antonyms of "Common" include extraordinary, infrequent, rare, seldom, uncommon, unfamiliar, unusual and abnormal. Near antonyms include aberrant, irregular, unnatural and intermittent.

How do you use "Common" in a sentence?

Examples of "Common" in a sentence: "horse ranches are a common sight in that part of the state"; "just a common house cat but an extraordinary friend"; "facts of common knowledge".

Is "Common" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Common" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Common"?

"Common" is pronounced /ˈkä-mən/ and divided into syllables as com·mon.

What is the origin of the word "Common"?

"Common" comes from Middle English commun, from Anglo-French, from Latin communis mean. First known use: 14th century.