Common

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒm.ən/

Definitions

1. Occurring frequently or shared by many; not rare or unusual
2. Present in a large number of instances or groups
3. Widespread in occurrence or usage among many individuals

Etymology: The adjective "common" arrived in English as a replacement for words that were already there. Old English had its own words for shared, general things, such as "ġemǣne," which survived into Middle English as "imene" and "mene" before the French-derived form pushed them aside. The French form came from Anglo-Norman "comun," itself descended from Latin "commūnis," meaning "common, public, general." Latin's "commūnis" was built from a prefix meaning "together" and a root linked to the idea of exchange, so its literal sense was roughly "held in common." That Latin root also explains the family resemblance between "common" and "mean." Both came from the same Old English word "ġemǣne," which is why they are doublets: two words from one source that took different paths into English. "Mean" kept the sense of something ordinary or low, while "common" took the sense of shared by many.

Synonyms: ordinary, usual, typical

Antonyms: rare, unusual, unique