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common time

American

noun

Music.

a meter or tempo of four beats per measure, with each of four quarter notes receiving a single beat. C

common time British

noun

C. music a time signature indicating four crotchet beats to the bar; four-four time

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of common time

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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common time

She also pointed out that the most common time for hot, dry Santa Ana winds is during the fall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2025

It’s also a very common time to lose things.

From NewsForKids.net ● Mar. 23, 2023

As a bonus, magnetic reversals could provide a common time marker for rocks from different locations.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 19, 2022

"This period before the midterms is a common time for officials to depart," said a White House official, who did not wish to be named.

From Reuters ● Apr. 4, 2022

Four four time is used so much that it is often called common time, written as a bold "C."

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023