Added 4 October 2026
common
/ˈkɒmən/ adjective
In Latin: commūnis Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about common at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Mutual; shared by more than one.
The two competitors have the common aim of winning the championship.
-
Occurring or happening regularly or frequently; usual.
It is common to find sharks off this coast.
-
Found in large numbers or in a large quantity; usual.
"Commoner" used to be commoner, but "more common" is now more common.
noun
verb
- To communicate (something).
- To converse, talk.
- To have sex.
Origin
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”)).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)