common

adjective

ˈkä-mən How to pronounce common (audio)
Definition of commonnext
1
as in ubiquitous
often observed or encountered horse ranches are a common sight in that part of the state

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in normal
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events just a common house cat but an extraordinary friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in general
belonging or relating to the whole facts of common knowledge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in low
belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank a man of wealth and privilege who mingled without pretense with the common folk

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in prevailing
held by or applicable to a majority of the people a politician who works not for the special interests but for the common good

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in collective
used or done by a number of people as a group used a common bathroom while at the campground

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in ordinary
of average to below average quality has a common singing voice that's good enough for performing at those venues

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in poor
of low quality furniture of common workmanship that did not justify the high prices

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in vulgar
lacking in refinement or good taste embarrassed by the common manners of his new in-laws

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective common contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of common are familiar, ordinary, plain, popular, and vulgar. While all these words mean "generally met with and not in any way special, strange, or unusual," common implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence and may additionally suggest inferiority or coarseness.

a common error
lacked common honesty
common manners

When would familiar be a good substitute for common?

The words familiar and common are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, familiar stresses the fact of being generally known and easily recognized.

a familiar melody

In what contexts can ordinary take the place of common?

The meanings of ordinary and common largely overlap; however, ordinary stresses conformance in quality or kind with the regular order of things.

an ordinary pleasant summer day
a very ordinary sort of man

When is plain a more appropriate choice than common?

While in some cases nearly identical to common, plain is likely to suggest homely simplicity.

plain hard-working people

When might popular be a better fit than common?

Although the words popular and common have much in common, popular applies to what is accepted by or prevalent among people in general sometimes in contrast to upper classes or special groups.

a writer of popular romances

How do vulgar and popular relate to one another, in the sense of common?

Vulgar, otherwise similar to popular, is likely to carry derogatory connotations (as of inferiority or coarseness).

souvenirs designed to appeal to the vulgar taste

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of common Nancy West, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist at West Counseling & Consulting, told Newsweek the woman's emotional response was valid and common in evolving adult relationships. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025 So the first step is to make such screenings common and expected for both children and their adult caregivers. —Ty Schepis, The Conversation, 30 May 2025 According to Ukrainian figures, attacks involving an average of 100 Shahed-style drones a night have become common this year, with last weekend seeing some of the largest onslaughts at about 300 drones a night. —Arkansas Online, 30 May 2025 Pay Attention to Bathrooms Falls are common in the bathroom, where moisture is ever present and surfaces are slippery. —Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for common
Recent Examples of Synonyms for common
  1. ubiquitous
  2. normal
  3. general
  4. low
  5. collective
  6. ordinary
  7. poor
  8. vulgar
Adjective
  • Perhaps the most unlikely character to become ubiquitous in the world of Disney is Stitch, an alien who pretends to be a dog in 2002’s Lilo & Stitch.
    — Barry Levitt, Time, 21 May 2025
  • Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
    — Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 21 May 2025
Definition of ubiquitous
Adjective
  • In a revealing interview on Insight With Chris Van Vliet, Omos detailed his journey from assuming his rapid growth was normal to facing a critical health crisis.
    — Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
  • Most kids use pacifiers—and up to a certain point, that's totally normal.
    — ​Wendy Wisner, Parents, 29 May 2025
Definition of normal
Adjective
  • Oilers general manager Stan Bowman never really tried.
    — Pierre LeBrun, New York Times, 26 May 2025
  • Valuation: Reasonable on Surface, Risky Underneath At first sight, Moderna’s valuation multiple, indicated by a P/S ratio of 3.2 times, seems neutral when compared to the broader market, aligning its valuation multiple with that of the general market.
    — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
Definition of general
Adjective
  • In fact, with one of the lowest average ages in the whole of the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain this season has become a team known for its young, hardworking and likeable core group of players – Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Barcola and Doué have all garnered plaudits.
    — Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 31 May 2025
  • Steer clear of puddles - Driving into puddles or low areas of rainwater can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 31 May 2025
Definition of low
Adjective
  • That money was to be held in trust for the collective benefit of tribes.
    — Graham Lee Brewer, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
  • Ukraine’s Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko said on May 22 that the plan would strengthen Europe’s collective defense and reduce the long-term cost of containing Russian aggression.
    — Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Definition of collective
Adjective
  • Stephen King’s novella about three chapters in the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz.
    — Andrew Torgan, CNN Money, 1 June 2025
  • In other words, Catherine is a nice, ordinary middle-class English girl.
    — Adelle Waldman, New Yorker, 31 May 2025
Definition of ordinary
Adjective
  • The product was released in 2023 to a poor reception, and discontinued before the company began winding down operations in February.
    — Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 24 May 2025
  • The original doesn’t go that deeply into it, but this poor girl was essentially forced to be a teen mom at this time in her life when all of her friends would be graduating high school and dating and thinking about their futures.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • The survey examined a minimum of 1,000 comments per team and found less than 1% of posts made by fans of the Dallas Wings contained swear words or vulgar comments.
    — Alyssa Cooper, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2025
  • The program was incredibly close-knit—kids practiced most days of the week, and hung out almost exclusively with their fellow All-Stars, as well as with the vulgar, charismatic teacher who structured their lives.
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 3 May 2025
Definition of vulgar

Phrases Containing common

Browse Nearby Words

commodores
common
commonalities
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Common.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/common. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on common

Nglish: Translation of common for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about common

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Bring' vs. 'Take'

Is it 'used to' or 'use to'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

The Clinical History of 'Moron,' 'Idiot,' and 'Imbecile'

And So It Begins: 9 Words for Beginnings
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All