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

But while there was common ground on online child protection, differences remained over the environmental impact of computing.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

“We are building common ground in a powerful way,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

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

From Salon • May 5, 2026

"Hopefully they'll lay some common ground together and move forward."

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Walking together on wooded paths at Camp David, Eisenhower and Khrushchev made a small step toward finding common ground.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin