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common sense

[ kom-uhn sens ]
/ ˈkɒm ən ˈsɛns /
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See synonyms for: common sense / commonsense / commonsensible / commonsensical on Thesaurus.com

noun
sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like; normal native intelligence.
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Origin of common sense

1525–35; translation of Latin sēnsus commūnis, itself translation of Greek koinḕ aísthēsis

OTHER WORDS FROM common sense

com·mon-sense, com·mon·sense, adjectivecom·mon·sen·si·cal, com·mon·sen·si·ble, adjectivecom·mon·sen·si·cal·ly, com·mon·sen·si·bly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use common sense in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for common sense

common sense

noun
plain ordinary good judgment; sound practical sense
adjective common-sense, common-sensical
inspired by or displaying sound practical sense
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

Cultural definitions for common sense

Common Sense

(1776) A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that called for the United States to declare independence from Britain immediately. Written in a brisk and pungent style, Common Sense had a tremendous impact and helped to persuade many Americans that they could successfully wage a war for their independence.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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