common noun

American  

noun

Grammar.

1. a noun that may be preceded by an article or other limiting modifier and that denotes any or all of a class of entities and not an individual, as man, city, horse, music.

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common noun British  

noun

1. grammar a noun that refers to each member of a whole class sharing the features connoted by the noun, as for example planet, orange, and drum Compare proper noun

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Etymology

Origin of common noun

First recorded in 1860–65

Compare meaning

How does common-noun compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• common noun vs. proper noun

Example Sentences

A Common noun is the name of a sort or species of things; as, man, tree, river.

From English Grammar in Familiar Lectures by Kirkham, Samuel