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common

common

∞ 1.0
Happening often or seen in many places
  • adjective
  • /ˈkɑːmən/
: 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.

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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
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
average
vscommon
∞ 1.0

Ordinary and not very good

is used for the accepted or usual standard, not statistical middleness
familiar
vscommon
774 1.0

Well known because you have seen or experienced it before

is the generally expected norm, not only well remembered
typical
vscommon
714 1.0

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

is about being the general expected norm rather than category representation
ordinary
vscommon
681 1.0

Normal and not special or unusual

is seen as the accepted norm or expected standard
standard
vscommon
673 2.7

Generally used and accepted as correct

is more about being ordinary or frequently encountered than an official model
everyday
vscommon
448 1.0

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

is the general expected norm beyond things used only daily
conventional
vscommon
287 2.8

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

is the plain, commonly encountered type, not specifically traditional
routine
vscommon
255 1.0

Happening as a usual part of daily life

is the general expected norm beyond repetitive daily actions
widespread
vscommon
232 3.6

Happening in many places or among many people

is the expected ordinary norm rather than focusing on distribution
prevalent
vscommon
67 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
customary
vscommon
64 3.5

Something done because of tradition or habit

is the general expected norm regardless of tradition or habit
stock
vscommon
62 3.3

Something that is common and not special

is the general expected norm across things, not limited to goods or phrases
ubiquitous
vscommon
54 9.0

Found in many places at the same time

is about being ordinary or standard but not necessarily present everywhere
commonplace
vscommon
47 3.4

Ordinary and not special or new

is considered the accepted or normal option rather than merely unremarkable
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
25 3.5

Common and not special or unusual

is the general expected norm rather than colloquial labeling
1 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

Antonyms

∞ 2.2

Not common and different from what people expect

944 4.1

Not common and appearing in only a few places

126 4.6

Not often found or seen and so rare

exceptional
  • Specialized
4 4.8

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

Idioms

475 1.0

Something that people, groups, or things share

Is similar to other people or things

Compounds

257 1.8

The ability to make good decisions in everyday life

81 3.2

Shared ideas or interests that help people agree and work together

34 2.0

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

A quality that all members of a group share

common good
  • Formal
31 3.5

A benefit that helps all people in a community

Things most people understand and accept without proof

20 1.3

People who are not rich or powerful

common law
  • Specialized
19 3.8

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

19 1.1

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

14 2.3

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

A question many people ask

8 4.0

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

A sign or feeling that many people with an illness have

Common Market
  • Archaic
5 3.7

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

A thing many people in a group accept or value

4 1.0

Something often seen in a place or situation

3 4.6

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

common shares
  • Canadian
2 3.8

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

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

common-law marriage
  • Specialized
2 4.3

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

A person in the army or marines with the lowest rank

2 7.8

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

common bile duct
  • Specialized
2 3.7

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

common carotid
  • Specialized
1 3.0

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

1 4.6

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

common factor
  • Specialized
1 2.7

A number that divides two or more numbers exactly

1 3.7

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

1 3.7

People or groups who act together to show unity and reach a shared goal

1 3.5

Land that local people can use, often to graze animals

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

1 3.9

A company that sends data for the public and must treat all messages the same

common time
  • Specialized
1 5.2

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

A small black-and-white sea animal that swims fast and often jumps from the water

1 1.1

A word for a general person, place, thing, or idea

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

A mosquito that often lives near houses and bites people

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 7.0

A problem that unfairly harms something everyone in a community has the right to use

common meter
  • Literature
1 8.5

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

1 2.6

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

1 3.8

A small, spotted sea animal that lives on cold northern coasts

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

1 8.4

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

1 4.4

The largest number that divides evenly into two or more whole numbers without leaving a remainder

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

common measure
  • Specialized
1 5.2

A number that divides two or more numbers exactly with no remainder

1 4.2

Shared money that people in a group use to pay for things together

1 1.0

A white crystal used to season and preserve food

1 5.7

A North American weed with many small green flowers that often cause hay fever

A small bird that lives in groups with dark shiny feathers and often nests near buildings

1 1.1

A plant that grows beans people cook and eat

1 2.3

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

1 2.6

A medium-sized North American animal with a black face mask, ringed tail, and clever front paws

1 2.9

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

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

1 9.9

In the past, a person, often a woman, who complains a lot and annoys others

A bushy plant from Europe and Asia with bright yellow flowers used in herbal medicine

common divisor
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A number that divides two or more whole numbers leaving nothing left

1 5.5

The biggest whole number that divides two or more numbers exactly

common roundworm
  • Specialized
1 4.5

A worm that lives in human and pig intestines and makes them sick

common fate
  • Specialized
1 8.1

Objects that move the same way are seen as one group

A tropical Asian plant with a spicy root used to add flavor to food

A low-growing plant with thick sour leaves that people eat in salads or cooked dishes

A small evergreen tree or shrub with needle leaves and blue, berry-like cones used to flavor gin

common multiple
  • Specialized
1 3.4

A number that two or more other numbers divide evenly

common fraction
  • Specialized
1 2.3

A number written with two whole numbers separated by a line to show part of a whole, like 3/4

common progenitor
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A shared ancestor that more than one species or group comes from

A plant with yellow flowers and jagged leaves often eaten or seen as a weed

1 7.5

A small silvery freshwater fish found in streams and rivers in eastern North America

1 3.8

A small fragrant Mediterranean plant with gray-green leaves used to add flavor to food

A garden plant with bright yellow or orange flowers that people use for skin care

1 3.0

A bush with heart-shaped leaves and large clusters of very fragrant purple or white flowers often grown in gardens

How Ordinary

banal
21 7.2
commonplace
47 3.4
common
∞ 1.0
typical
714 1.0
uncommon
126 4.6
exceptional
159 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.