common ground

American  

noun

1. a foundation of common interest or comprehension, as in a social relationship or a discussion.

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common ground British  

noun

1. an agreed basis, accepted by both or all parties, for identifying issues in an argument

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common ground Idioms  

1. Shared beliefs or interests, a foundation for mutual understanding. For example, The European Union is struggling to find common ground for establishing a single currency. [1920s]

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Etymology

Origin of common ground

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Finding solid ground, not necessarily common ground, is the motivating mission of most space missions.

From Salon • May 5, 2026

Mahan took a different route, pledging to fight when necessary, but adding, “We need a partnership, and we need to find common ground with this administration on certain issues.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

Efforts at finding common ground have been brokered, and then derailed, over WhatsApp.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

It’s hard to get stock market bears and bulls to agree on anything, but two prominent, eponymous economists finally found common ground this week.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

My sister and I tried to find common ground with our half-American cousins, but that took a while to pan out.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi