common noun

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noun Grammar.

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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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Also called common name .

Compare proper noun.

Origin of common noun

First recorded in 1860–65

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use common noun in a sentence

ISIS, the more common name for the so-called Islamic State, is a threat to everyday Americans.
Ebola, ISIS, the Border: So Much to Fear, So Little Time!|Gene Robinson|November 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Cloud computing" really captured the imagination and became the common name before the technology was even all that common.
New Words Added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary: ‘Man Cave,’ ‘Sexting,’ and More|Kory L. Stamper|August 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The surname Thin has the same meaning as Meagre, from which the common name Meager comes.
Stories That Words Tell Us|Elizabeth O'Neill
Chapman, a common name now, was the Old English word for a general dealer.
Stories That Words Tell Us|Elizabeth O'Neill

Indeed, the common name for them among the Mexicans was Teules, which means gods.
South American Fights and Fighters|Cyrus Townsend Brady
Redwood is its common name, and the lumber for our frame or wooden houses is cut from this tree.
Stories of California|Ella M. Sexton
Gunsang means hermit, and Ngurbu is a very common name signifying precious stone.
Trans-Himalaya, Vol. 2 (of 2)|Sven Hedin

British Dictionary definitions for common noun

common noun

noun

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 drumCompare proper noun

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

common noun

Origin of common noun

Words related to common noun

How to use common noun in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for common noun