common
- adjective
- /ˈkɑːmən/
- Offensive
- It's all too common out there.
- lowest common denominator
Like I can wear my Rollie by the pool when I'm in Ibiza because I sound common.
- Like I can wear my Rollie by the pool when I'm in Ibiza because I sound common.
Examples
-
His attitude was so common that it did not impress anyone at the high-end restaurant.
-
She has a common manner of speaking that many find off-putting in formal situations.
-
I mean, we just pushed past the point of common sense.
-
The man was little more than a common criminal, and a boorish one at that.
Fiction book (1991) -
In this context of industrialization, class conflict was a common characteristic of European society.
Academic text (2008) -
No lady should walk past the barbershop where common men sat and gossiped on the benches outside.
Fiction book (1995) -
The film was criticized for its common themes and lack of originality.
Synonyms
Showing little good taste or refinement in style
Being rude and offensive, often about sex
A surface like sand or rough cloth that has large grains and is not smooth
Not polite or well behaved in a rough way
Typical of ordinary people rather than the rich or powerful
Not polished in style or manners
Antonyms
Idioms
Compounds
- Specialized
A system where judges use past court decisions and customs rather than written laws
A mild virus infection of the nose and throat that causes a runny nose, sneezing, and sore throat
- Archaic
A group of European countries that removed limits on trade and worked together economically
- Canadian
A part of a company you can buy that gives part of the profit and the right to vote
- Specialized
A relationship the law accepts when a couple live together and behave as if married
- Specialized
A tube that carries bile from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine
- Literature
An official service book used in Church of England worship with formal and beautiful language
- Specialized
A large blood vessel on each side of the neck that carries blood to the head and neck
- Specialized
A number that is a common multiple of the bottom numbers of two fractions for adding or comparing them
- Specialized
A large blood vessel on each side of the neck that carries blood to the head and brain
- Formal
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
The years of history starting at year one of the calendar now used in many countries
- Specialized
A large blood vessel from the main vessel in the belly that sends blood to the hips and legs
- Literature
A four-line poem pattern with alternating long and short lines used in hymns and ballads
- UK
A small snake with a dark zigzag back and poison in its bite that lives in northern Europe and Asia
- UK
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 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 small bird with a bright yellow throat found in wet places like marshes
- South African
A medium tree from South Africa that has yellow wood and people use for furniture and gardens
- South African
A large wild animal like a horse with black and white stripes that lives in African grasslands
A low evergreen plant with small white flowers and red berries found in northern regions
A large European tree with smooth grey bark and bright autumn leaves that people plant for shade in parks
- UK
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
- UK
A medium-sized tree that grows near rivers with small woody cones and leaves hairy underneath
- Australian
A fast-growing climbing plant from South America with shiny leaves and yellow flowers
How Refined
- Formal
- Offensive
- Offensive
Surface Forms
Etymology
Common used to mean 'low' or 'vulgar' comes from its link to the 'common people', from Latin communis 'shared', used in words like community. So calling something common in this way means it is typical of ordinary people and not seen as high-class.