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

A guard yelled into the common room, summoning Wilber during the early afternoon of June 26.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

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

Since then, it has raised more than £300,000 for a new pre-teen common room in the Schiehallion ward and ongoing improvements, such as new loungers.

From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2024

Some common room shapes include: rectangular, square, angled and curved.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 28, 2023

They were sitting beside the fire in the common room; the only other people awake were fellow sixth years.

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

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---