common room

American  

noun

1. a room or lounge for informal use by all.

---

common room British  

noun

1. a sitting room in schools, colleges, etc, for the relaxation of students or staff

---

Etymology

Origin of common room

First recorded in 1660–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

common room

On the evening of Jan. 15, 26 undergrads gathered for dinner in a common room at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to debate the fairness of college admissions post-affirmative action.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 21, 2026

Door duty puts Ventura’s name toward the top of the list for work — other volunteers, who agree to clean the common room or parking lot, also get top-of-list privileges.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 8, 2024

Seated adjacent to the facility’s dingy common room, we became, in the playwright’s own staging, fellow residents.

From New York Times ● Dec. 4, 2023

The marquee, which provides a temporary common room and study area, was put up by three young leaders, who are all students, with the help of some adult volunteers.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2023

The portrait swung open to admit them to the common room.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling