Macmillan Dictionary

Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

common

 - definition
 
 
 
Close

What are red words?

90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

Close

Thesaurus

The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.

more
adjective British English pronunciation: common /ˈkɒmən/ 
Word Forms
Close
adjectivecommon
superlativecommonest
Other entries for this word
 
  1. 1
    happening frequently, or existing in large amounts or numbers

    Mergers and takeovers have become increasingly common in recent years.

    The most common criticism was that he was always late.

    Today smog is a common occurrence in many major cities.

    it is common for someone/something to do something:

    It was common for children to play in the street.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of common
    1. a.
      [only before noun] used in the names of birds and animals when there are more of them than related birds and animals
      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of common
  2. 2
    used, done, or shared by two or more people

    Member states also agreed to pursue a common trade policy.

    a group of people descended from a common ancestor

    common language:

    She was Swiss and I am from Vietnam, so French was our common language.

    common to:

    These issues are common to all our clients.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of common
  3. 3
    [only before noun] ordinary, with no special status or rank

    a common soldier/criminal

    the common man:

    This is true both for the philosopher and the common man.

    the common people:

    In the fifteenth century the common people could neither read nor write.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of common
  4. 4
    reaching the standard that you normally expect from most ordinary people
    common courtesy:

    It would only be common courtesy to return their hospitality.

    common decency:

    Why didn't you have the common decency to inform your uncle of where you were going?

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of common

phrases

See also

This is the British English definition of common. View American English definition of common.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.

 

charticle

a news article that consists of a chart … and only has a small amount of text

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day

picture messaging

the sending of images and photographs from one mobile phone to another

Open Dictionary

never event

an event that should never occur in a healthcare setting …

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog