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

"I trust he will now reinvent cooperation among the willing for the common good of all," Lagarde wrote.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

But his morality is not guided by ethics, humanism or respect for the common good.

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026

There was an underlying trust that the U.S. wouldn’t simply serve its own interests but would uphold its obligation to preserve and strengthen the international financial system for the common good.

From Barron's • Mar. 7, 2026

The issue of individual rights versus the common good resurfaced in a major way in the 1980s with the devastating HIV/AIDS epidemic.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler