common
- adjective
- /ˈkɑːmən/
- Offensive
- It's all too common out there.
- lowest common denominator
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Watch on YouTubeLike 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
Being rude and offensive, often about sex
A surface like sand or rough cloth that has large grains and is not smooth
Showing little good taste or refinement in style
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
- Literature
An official service book used in Church of England worship with formal and beautiful language
- Specialized
A tube that carries bile from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine
- Specialized
A large blood vessel on each side of the neck that carries blood to the head and neck
The years of history starting at year one of the calendar now used in many countries
- 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
- Formal
A company that sends data for the public and must treat all messages the same
A small black-and-white sea animal that swims fast and often jumps from the water
- 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 problem that unfairly harms something everyone in a community has the right to use
- Literature
A four-line poem pattern with alternating long and short lines used in hymns and ballads
- Specialized
A large blood vessel from the main vessel in the belly that sends blood to the hips and legs
- Specialized
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
- Specialized
A number that divides two or more numbers exactly with no remainder
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
A medium-sized North American animal with a black face mask, ringed tail, and clever front paws
Ordinary and not special, like a simple jacket you can buy anywhere
A bushy plant from Europe and Asia with bright yellow flowers used in herbal medicine
- Specialized
A number that divides two or more whole numbers leaving nothing left
- Specialized
The biggest whole number that divides two or more numbers exactly
- Specialized
A worm that lives in human and pig intestines and makes them sick
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
- Specialized
A number written with two whole numbers separated by a line to show part of a whole, like 3/4
- Specialized
A shared ancestor that more than one species or group comes from
A small silvery freshwater fish found in streams and rivers in eastern North America
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
A bush with heart-shaped leaves and large clusters of very fragrant purple or white flowers often grown in gardens
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.