common sense
244
1.8
- noun
- /ˈkɑːmən sɛns/
:
sentido común
- Understanding the need for safety measures is just basic common sense in any situation.
- use common sense
- common sense dictates
- common sense suggests
And yet, at the time, our common sense was unique.
- And yet, at the time, our common sense was unique.
- We're going to see your common sense on everyday objects.
- One would think that would be a common sense thing, but now you know.
- And you know, it's common sense if you think about it.
- I think business is more common sense than is academic.
- We're too afraid now to have logical, common sense questions about this.
- And so common sense is not common in academia.
- Kant says the appeal to common sense is even more absurd.
- Most of the ideas that we deal with are common sense and simple arithmetic.
- And, you know, common sense policies have been ignored.
Examples
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You've always had common sense.
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These people have no regard for common sense.
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You have to apply some common sense to it as well.
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And yet, at the time, our common sense was unique.
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So to me, it's common sense as much as brilliant.
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And you know, it's common sense if you think about it.
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I expected some common sense on your part.
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Look, just use common sense.
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All of our views come from common sense processing of facts.
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We need a return to common sense and intuition.
Synonyms
∞
3.7
Good practical judgment about what to do
758
3.2
Ability to make good decisions and form sensible opinions
571
2.7
To use what you know and have learned to make good choices and give good advice
53
3.6
The ability to make sensible decisions in everyday life
5
5.9
A person who thinks carefully and makes sensible choices
4
3.7
The ability to make sensible, careful decisions
4
4.9
Careful thinking and good judgment in making decisions
1
4.8
Being able to make good practical decisions in everyday life
1
4.6
Being careful and reasonable when making choices
1
9.9
Natural practical sense a person is born with, not learned at school
1
7.5
Being experienced and able to make good choices
The ability to think calmly and make good choices in difficult situations
How Sensible
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the ability to think and behave in a reasonable way' is directly and compositionally built from 'common' (ordinary/shared) modifying 'sense' (practical judgment), so the phrase denotes ordinary or widely held practical judgment. This adjective+noun pattern is cross-linguistically frequent (e.g., Spanish 'sentido común', French 'sens commun'), making it easily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Common sense comes from the simple idea of a common sense that many people share about everyday things. That's why it means 'the ability to make good, practical decisions'.