common good

American  

noun

common goods plural

1. the advantage or benefit of all people in society or in a group.

   In spite of our differences, we shall work for the common good.

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common good British  

noun

1. the part of the property of a Scottish burgh, in the form of land or funds, that is at the disposal of the community

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• common goods
  plural

Etymology

Origin of common good

First recorded in 1350–1400

Example Sentences

For him, Hussein’s death was about fighting oppression, yes, but also about putting the common good of the faithful above one’s self.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026

At my installation Mass, one of the strongest moments of applause came when I spoke about working with all people of goodwill for the common good.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

"That is where people come together, it is where you will find our common good and that is where we will discover once again the courage in each other."

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

Leo, the Catholic Church's first American pontiff, said it was "more urgent than ever to replace the logic of fear and mistrust with a shared ethic capable of guiding choices towards the common good".

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

To this day, for Indigenous peoples the land and its resources are “home” and exist for the common good of the people who share it.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz