| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
| |
| common |
| |
| SYLLABICATION: | com·mon |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  k m  n |
| ADJECTIVE: | Inflected forms: com·mon·er, com·mon·est
1a. Belonging equally to or shared equally by two or more; joint: common interests. b. Of or relating to the community as a whole; public: for the common good. See Usage Note at mutual. 2. Widespread; prevalent. 3a. Occurring frequently or habitually; usual. b. Most widely known; ordinary: the common housefly. 4. Having no special designation, status, or rank: a common sailor. 5a. Not distinguished by superior or noteworthy characteristics; average: the common spectator. b. Of no special quality; standard: common procedure. c. Of mediocre or inferior quality; second-rate: common cloth. 6. Unrefined or coarse in manner; vulgar: behavior that branded him as common. 7. Grammar a. Either masculine or feminine in gender. b. Representing one or all of the members of a class; not designating a unique entity. | | NOUN: | 1. commons The common people; commonalty. 2. commons (used with a sing. or pl. verb) a. The social class composed of commoners. b. The parliamentary representatives of this class. 3. The House of Commons. Often used in the plural. 4. A tract of land, usually in a centrally located spot, belonging to or used by a community as a whole: a band concert on the village common. 5. The legal right of a person to use the lands or waters of another, as for fishing. 6. commons (used with a sing. verb) A building or hall for dining, typically at a university or college. 7. Common stock. 8. Ecclesiastical A service used for a particular class of festivals. | | IDIOM: | in common Equally with or by all. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English commune, from Old French commun, from Latin comm nis. See mei-1 in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | common·ly —ADVERB
common·ness —NOUN
| | SYNONYMS: | common, ordinary, familiar, vulgar These adjectives describe what is generally known or frequently encountered. Common applies to what takes place often, is widely used, or is well known: The botanist studied the common dandelion. The term also implies coarseness or a lack of distinction: My wallet was stolen by a common thief. Ordinary describes something usual that is indistinguishable from others, sometimes derogatorily: A ballpoint pen is adequate for ordinary purposes. The critic gave the ordinary performance a mediocre review. Familiar applies to what is well known or quickly recognized: Most children can recite familiar nursery rhymes. Vulgar describes association with the great mass of people and often connotes lack of refinement: “He [Shakespeare] was not something sacred and aloof from the vulgar herd of men” (William Hazlitt).See also synonyms at general.
| | |
| |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
|
|
