adjective

1. belonging equally to, or shared by, two or more or by all the common interests of a group
2. belonging or relating to the community at large; public common carriers
3. widely existing; general; prevalent common knowledge
4. widely but unfavorably known a common criminal
5. 1. met with or occurring frequently; familiar; usual a common sight
   2. basic; simple; rudimentary common courtesy
6. not of the upper classes; of the masses the common man
7. having no rank a common soldier
8. below ordinary; inferior common ware
9. not refined; vulgar; low; coarse
10. Anat. formed of or dividing into branches
11. Gram.
    1. designating a noun that refers to any of a group or class, as book, apple, street
    2. designating gender that can be either masculine or feminine the word child is of common gender
12. Math. belonging equally to two or more quantities a common denominator

Etymology: ME commun < OFr comun < L communis (OL comoinis), shared by all or many < IE *kom-moini-, common (< *kom, com- + *moini-, achievement < base *mei-, to exchange, barter) > OE gemæne, public, general, Ger gemein: see mean

noun

1. ☆ land owned or used by all the inhabitants of a place; tract of open public land, esp. as a park in a city or town
2. Eccles.
   1. the office or service suitable for any of a class of festivals
   2. the ordinary of the Mass
3. Law the right that a person has, in common with the owner or others, in the land or waters of another