Dictionary.com

common sense

[ kom-uhn sens ]
/ ˈkɒm ən ˈsɛns /
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZ
ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ
There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!
Question 1 of 7
True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

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.
FEEDBACK