1525–35; translation of Latin sēnsus commūnis, itself translation of Greek koinḕ aísthēsis
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The reforms needed aren’t radical but common sense.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
"It's time to use common sense and for a ceasefire. People are suffering on both sides," she said of the Ukraine war.
From Barron's • May 9, 2026
There are always threads of truth in arguments like these — enough to make ageism sound like common sense.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
The problem is that, with time, the scales of common sense can become biased, as Linda Goodman’s life shows, and Evangeline Adams’ clients learned, perhaps too late.
From Slate • May 5, 2026
I can see the denial going to war with Tano’s common sense.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
