commonly

American  

[kom-uhn-lee] / ˈkɒm ən li /

adverb

1. often; frequently.

   commonly used words.

2. usually; generally; ordinarily.

   Synonyms:

   routinely, customarily, normally

3. in a common manner.

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commonly British  

/ ˈkɒmənlɪ /

adverb

1. usually; ordinarily

   he was commonly known as Joe

2. derogatory in a coarse or vulgar way

   she dresses commonly

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Etymology

Origin of commonly

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English communeli(che); equivalent to common + -ly

Explanation

The adverb commonly is good for talking about something that usually or ordinarily happens. Mice, for example, are commonly afraid of cats. Commonly describes an action that's to be expected. You could say that the bus commonly picks you up fifteen minutes late, or that colds and flu are commonly passed around between kids at school. The earliest use of commonly, around 1300, was to mean "in a way common to all," from the adjective common, or "belonging to all." The Latin root communis means "in common, public, or shared by all or many."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

commonly

On Earth, carbonates commonly develop in shallow lakes and oceans, including environments that can support life.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

Garam masala is an Indian spice blend whose exact makeup varies, but it commonly includes warming spices like cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.

From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026

Constructions such as “Not A, Not B, but C” and “Not X, but Y” have commonly appeared in AI-generated text, researchers say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

Instead, they look for patterns commonly found in AI-generated writing, but those patterns can also appear in human work.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

“Yes,” he says, “flint, steel, and magnesium are commonly used together for fire starters. I get it.”

From "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Related Words

• frequently
• generally
• more often than not
• ordinarily
• regularly