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• commons
  commons

  noun

  (functioning as plural) people not of noble birth viewed as forming a political order
• Commons
  Commons

  noun

  See House of Commons

commons

¹ British  

/ ˈkɒmənz /

noun

1. (functioning as plural) people not of noble birth viewed as forming a political order

2. (functioning as plural) the lower classes as contrasted to the ruling classes of society; the commonalty

3. (functioning as singular) a building or hall for dining, recreation, etc, usually attached to a college

4. (usually functioning as plural) food or rations (esp in the phrase short commons )

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Commons ² British  

/ ˈkɒmənz /

noun

1. See House of Commons

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Explanation

A commons is a piece of land that belongs to everyone in a community. The commons in the middle of a village might be a green space that's available for gatherings and celebrations. One way to think of the commons is as public land or space — roadways, town parks, public beaches, and sidewalks could all potentially be defined as part of the commons. Nobody owns the commons, and when some part of it becomes privately owned, it's called privatization. The word commons comes from the Latin root communis, which means both "in common, shared by all, or general," and also "common property."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

commons Commons

Unauthorized leaks aren’t as commons as they are in the music and movie industries, but they do occur.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

The good kind includes security alliances and trade deals to advance U.S. interests, plus efforts to solve tragedies of the commons like overfishing or Ebola.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Leo writes that modern technology has wonderful benefits like the establishment and ease of worldwide interconnections, the formation of global community and solidarity via the digital commons.

From Slate ● May 28, 2026

The survey also found 109 nightjar territories, the highest recorded, in the lowland heaths of east Hampshire, including Woolmer Forest and the commons of Shortheath, Bramshott, Ludshott, Broxhead and Kingsley.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026

North of the village was the commons, where we peasants grazed our own oxen and sheep.

From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi

The Commons public accounts committee this week warned it was "crunch time" for Parliament's restoration, with every additional year of delay costing taxpayers £420m.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

He should be required to make an "unreserved apology" to the complainant and the House by way of a personal statement in the House of Commons Chamber, it continued.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

The 3.9% rise was confirmed by Chancellor John Healey during his speech in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

So said Winston Churchill in the House of Commons in 1947.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

The crowd surrounding the Commons had swelled to include the entire army and every soul in the city except for Madam and Becky.

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson

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