communal

American  

[kuh-myoon-l, kom-yuh-nl] / kəˈmyun l, ˈkɒm yə nl /

adjective

1. used or shared in common by everyone in a group.

   a communal jug of wine.

2. of, by, or belonging to the people of a community; shared or participated in by the public.

   communal land; Building the playground was a communal project.

   Synonyms:

   collective, common, public

3. pertaining to a commune or a community.

   communal life.

4. engaged in by or involving two or more communities.

   communal conflict.

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communal British  

/ ˌkɒmjʊˈnælɪtɪ, ˈkɒmjʊnəl /

adjective

1. belonging or relating to a community as a whole

2. relating to different groups within a society

   communal strife

3. of or relating to a commune or a religious community

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Other Word Forms

• communality noun
• communally adverb
• intercommunal adjective
• noncommunal adjective
• noncommunally adverb
• uncommunal adjective

Etymology

Origin of communal

First recorded in 1805–15; from French, from Latin commūnālis, equivalent to commūn(e) “community, state” + -ālis adjective suffix; commune ², -al ¹

Example Sentences

The king also oversees a trust that owns and controls vast tracts of communal land in KwaZulu-Natal, which is supposed to be for the benefit local communities.

From BBC

Few groups in the U.S. have figured out how to build stable families and vibrant communal life better than the Haredi community has.

From The Wall Street Journal

Another 30 percent were able to drink from a tap in their yards, while others depended on communal taps and rainwater tanks.

From Barron's

Esperanza makes an altar on the vanity and prepares the space for chanting, a prayer meeting but more unapologetic, ritualistic and communal.

From Los Angeles Times

And when the private insurance market tightens in enough places, insurance becomes a communal problem.

From Barron's