Meaning of “common” in the English Dictionary

English
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"common" in English

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common adjective
uk ​ /ˈkɒm.ən/ us ​ /ˈkɑː.mən/

common adjective (USUAL)

B1 the same in a lot of places or for a lot of people:

It's quite common to see couples who dress alike.
"Smith" is a very common name in Britain.
common courtesy/decency

› the basic level of politeness that you expect from someone

common knowledge

B2 a fact that everyone knows:

[ + that ] It's common knowledge that they live together.

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common adjective (SHARED)

B1 belonging to or shared by two or more people, or things:

a common goal/interest
English has some features common to many languages.
See also
common ground
for the common good

› If something is done for the common good, it is done to help everyone.

make common cause with sb formal

› to act together with someone in order to achieve something:

Environmental protesters have made common cause with local people to stop the motorway being built.

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Idiom(s)

the common man
the common touch
common noun
uk ​ /ˈkɒm.ən/ us ​ /ˈkɑː.mən/

common noun (SHARED)

have sth in common

B1 to share interests, experiences, or other characteristics with someone or something:

We don't really have much in common.
in common with sb/sth

C1 in the same way as someone or something:

In common with many mothers, she feels torn between her family and her work.

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(Definition of “common” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

American
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"common" in American English

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common adjective
us ​ /ˈkɑm·ən/

common adjective (USUAL)

› found frequently in many places or among many people:

Money worries are a common problem for people raising children.

common adjective (SHARED)

› [ not gradable ] belonging to or shared by two or more people or things:

Guilt and forgiveness are themes common to all of her works.

commonly

adverb us ​ /ˈkɑm·ən·li/

›

"The" is the most commonly used word in English.

Idiom(s)

common denominator
common ground
common knowledge
have something in common
common noun [ C ]
us ​ /ˈkɑm·ən/

common noun [ C ] (LAND)

› an area of grassy land that is open for everyone to use, usually near the center of a town or city:

The Boston Common is the oldest park in the US.

(Definition of “common” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples

Examples for 'common'

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The commonest label attached to such instruments is" regulations" but there is nothing magical in names.
From Cambridge English Corpus
However, in many places and in many periods, communitarian management practices have protected people from the 'tragedy of the commons'.
From Cambridge English Corpus
Similar risk-sharing rules are needed to manage the global commons.
From Cambridge English Corpus
Thus, longer exposure of the villages to the institutional build-up has a positive effect on people's participation in the commons.
From Cambridge English Corpus
The commons, too, objected to the king's manipulation of the wool trade.
From Cambridge English Corpus
In other languages, where affixation is commoner, transparency may take priority over simplicity.
From Cambridge English Corpus
The commonest vertebrate remains are of teeth or other resistant pieces.
From Cambridge English Corpus
Scoliosis is commoner and may require orthopaedic follow-up.
From Cambridge English Corpus
The really surprising thing was that the house of commons had not translated quite in the same way.
From Cambridge English Corpus
By far the most important representative of the complaining commons was the figure of the sturdy plowman displaced from the land.
From Cambridge English Corpus
Global commons, by definition, are things that cannot be restricted to just one country - climate, for example.
From Cambridge English Corpus
In this less complicated, archaic warrior state, it surrounds him every day and it is bestowed by nobles and commons alike.
From Cambridge English Corpus
Thus, institutional build-up seems to be a very important consideration in motivating people to participate in commons.
From Cambridge English Corpus

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