Skip to main content
common

common

797 1.0
Happening often or seen in many places
  • adjective
  • /ˈkɑːmən/
translation icon : común
  • You ever wonder why the fear of the dark is so common in us?
  • most common
  • common practice
  • common sense

But then summer was the most common, like, season.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The most common fruit in the supermarket is usually apples.

  • And that's two or three times more common in women than men.

  • But then summer was the most common, like, season.

  • This is very, very common for people like us.

  • What is the most common language in England?

  • I do lack just a few common domestic skills.

  • There are many reasons; next we highlight some common challenges and suggest solutions to each one.

    Academic text (2013)
  • The results confirmed that disability was common among both poor and rich countries.

    Academic text (2013)
  • In the 1990s, stock option lockups were a common form of deal protection.

    Academic text (2017)
  • It's very common.

Synonyms

general
vscommon
1.0

Not specific and including most people or cases

is the expected or typical norm for a thing, not only broad coverage
average
vscommon
1.0

Ordinary and not very good

is used for the accepted or usual standard, not statistical middleness
usual
vscommon
1.0

Happening most of the time in a normal way

is used for things seen as standard or expected rather than just frequent
typical
vscommon
843 1.0

Having the usual qualities of a person, thing, or group

is about being the general expected norm rather than category representation
familiar
vscommon
793 1.0

Well known because you have seen or experienced it before

is the generally expected norm, not only well remembered
ordinary
vscommon
683 1.0

Normal and not special or unusual

is seen as the accepted norm or expected standard
standard
vscommon
675 2.7

Generally used and accepted as correct

is more about being ordinary or frequently encountered than an official model
everyday
vscommon
276 1.0

Ordinary clothes or things used in daily life, not for special occasions

is the general expected norm beyond things used only daily
routine
vscommon
263 1.0

Happening as a usual part of daily life

is the general expected norm beyond repetitive daily actions
widespread
vscommon
256 3.6

Happening in many places or among many people

is the expected ordinary norm rather than focusing on distribution
conventional
vscommon
175 2.8

Doing things in the usual way most people expect, not new or original

is the plain, commonly encountered type, not specifically traditional
customary
vscommon
70 3.5

Something done because of tradition or habit

is the general expected norm regardless of tradition or habit
prevalent
vscommon
64 3.8

Common in many places or among many people at a certain time

is the usual or standard expectation rather than emphasising wide spread
commonplace
vscommon
54 3.4

Ordinary and not special or new

is considered the accepted or normal option rather than merely unremarkable
ubiquitous
vscommon
51 9.0

Found in many places at the same time

is about being ordinary or standard but not necessarily present everywhere
habitual
vscommon
28 4.0

Happens often in the same way

is about being the accepted or normal state rather than repeated action
garden variety
vscommon
  • Informal
20 3.5

Common and not special or unusual

is the general expected norm rather than colloquial labeling
4.4

Ordinary and not special, like a simple jacket you can buy anywhere

is the neutral description emphasizing expectedness rather than casual phrasing
common-and-garden
vscommon
  • UK
4.9

Ordinary and not special

is the broader expected standard, not the idiomatic everyday label
stock
vscommon
3.3

Something that is common and not special

is the general expected norm across things, not limited to goods or phrases

Antonyms

2.2

Not common and different from what people expect

582 4.1

Not common and appearing in only a few places

122 4.6

Not often found or seen and so rare

exceptional
  • Specialized
27 4.8

A child whose thinking or physical ability is much different from most children

Idioms

450 1.0

Something that people, groups, or things share

Is similar to other people or things

Compounds

244 1.8

The ability to make good decisions in everyday life

76 3.2

Shared ideas or interests that help people agree and work together

30 2.0

An ordinary man without a title, rank, or special rights

common good
  • Formal
27 3.5

A benefit that helps all people in a community

Things most people understand and accept without proof

common law
  • Specialized
19 3.8

A system where judges use past court decisions and customs rather than written laws

17 1.1

A mild virus infection of the nose and throat that causes a runny nose, sneezing, and sore throat

16 1.3

People who are not rich or powerful

12 2.3

A room at a school or university where people relax, talk, and study together

A quality that all members of a group share

8 4.0

Shares that give part ownership of a company and usually voting rights

A question many people ask

Common Market
  • Archaic
4 3.7

A group of European countries that removed limits on trade and worked together economically

4 1.0

Something often seen in a place or situation

A sign or feeling that many people with an illness have

common shares
  • Canadian
3 3.8

A part of a company you can buy that gives part of the profit and the right to vote

A thing many people in a group accept or value

2 4.6

A way of connecting with ordinary people that makes them feel understood

common-law marriage
  • Specialized
2 4.3

A relationship the law accepts when a couple live together and behave as if married

common bile duct
  • Specialized
2 3.7

A tube that carries bile from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine

A person who has no title and is an ordinary member of society

A person in the army or marines with the lowest rank

1 7.8

An official service book used in Church of England worship with formal and beautiful language

common carotid
  • Specialized
1 3.0

A large blood vessel on each side of the neck that carries blood to the head and neck

common factor
  • Specialized
1 2.7

A number that divides two or more numbers exactly

common denominator
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A number that is a common multiple of the bottom numbers of two fractions for adding or comparing them

1 1.3

A year with 365 days and no extra day in February

common carotid artery
  • Specialized
1 3.3

A large blood vessel on each side of the neck that carries blood to the head and brain

1 3.7

A person or company that carries people and goods for the public and must pay for any loss and damage

A harmless North American snake that has stripes and often lives in gardens

1 4.6

The years of history starting at year one of the calendar now used in many countries

common fate
  • Specialized
1 8.1

Objects that move the same way are seen as one group

common iliac artery
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A large blood vessel from the main vessel in the belly that sends blood to the hips and legs

common meter
  • Literature
1 8.5

A four-line poem pattern with alternating long and short lines used in hymns and ballads

1 3.5

Land that local people can use, often to graze animals

1 8.4

A large black and white seabird that nests on cliffs and dives for fish

common time
  • Specialized
1 5.2

A beat pattern in music with four beats in each bar, often shown as C

7.5

A small snake with a dark zigzag back and poison in its bite that lives in northern Europe and Asia

common wallaby
  • Australian
4.8

A small animal that hops like a kangaroo and lives in Australia

A small rough growth on the skin caused by a virus, often on the hands

2.4

A small flying insect with black and yellow stripes that makes nests near houses and can sting

A snake that is not venomous and lives near fresh water in the western United States

A leafy plant that grows in water with a peppery taste, often used in salads

3.9

A situation where people understand each other and agree

A grain plant that people grow widely for flour used in bread and pasta

A small tree with large white or pink flowers and red berries

A holly shrub that loses its leaves in autumn and has bright red berries through winter

A very small water plant from the Americas that is the smallest flowering plant

A small forest plant with three heart-shaped leaves and white flowers with purple veins

A plant with a strong smell and bitter leaves used to make the drink absinthe

A small bird with a bright yellow throat found in wet places like marshes

common yellowwood
  • South African
8.6

A medium tree from South Africa that has yellow wood and people use for furniture and gardens

common zebra
  • South African
2.3

A large wild animal like a horse with black and white stripes that lives in African grasslands

Ordinary and not special

A small herb with green leaves used to add flavor to food

A climbing or bushy vegetable that produces edible beans

A low evergreen plant with small white flowers and red berries found in northern regions

A plant that grows beans people cook and eat

A large European tree with smooth grey bark and bright autumn leaves that people plant for shade in parks

A plant with a large root that people grow and eat

3.8

A tree with silvery white bark that peels in thin papery layers and drooping branches

A small European tree with clusters of sweet-smelling white flowers and black fruit eaten by birds

A small dark whale that lives off the Atlantic coast in groups led by a large male

An evergreen shrub that grows in northern bogs with pink or white bell-shaped flowers

A small insect that lives in damp indoor places and eats mold and book glue

6.3

A small evergreen bush with dense leaves often used for hedges and garden shapes

A small dark bird that lives on northern coasts and eats sea plants

5.5

A shrub from western Europe with bright yellow flowers grown in gardens

A large wild plant with broad leaves and seed burrs that stick to animal fur

A wild plant with bright yellow cup-shaped flowers

A small garden plant with fluffy blue or lavender flowers

5.2

A medium-sized tree that grows near rivers with small woody cones and leaves hairy underneath

common allamanda
  • Australian
7.9

A fast-growing climbing plant from South America with shiny leaves and yellow flowers

How Ordinary

banal
21 7.2
commonplace
54 3.4
common
797 1.0
typical
843 1.0
uncommon
122 4.6
exceptional
129 4.1

Surface Forms

common positive
commoner comparative
commonest superlative

Etymology

Common meaning 'ordinary' comes from the idea of something being with many people, from Latin communis 'shared'. That's why a 'common' cold is a sickness many people get and 'common' things are those you see often.