commons

¹ British  

/ ˈkɒmənz /

noun

1. (functioning as plural) people not of noble birth viewed as forming a political order

2. (functioning as plural) the lower classes as contrasted to the ruling classes of society; the commonalty

3. (functioning as singular) a building or hall for dining, recreation, etc, usually attached to a college

4. (usually functioning as plural) food or rations (esp in the phrase short commons )

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Commons ² British  

/ ˈkɒmənz /

noun

1. See House of Commons

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Explanation

A commons is a piece of land that belongs to everyone in a community. The commons in the middle of a village might be a green space that's available for gatherings and celebrations. One way to think of the commons is as public land or space — roadways, town parks, public beaches, and sidewalks could all potentially be defined as part of the commons. Nobody owns the commons, and when some part of it becomes privately owned, it's called privatization. The word commons comes from the Latin root communis, which means both "in common, shared by all, or general," and also "common property."

Example Sentences

By the time of her death she was refusing to drink, despite desperate efforts to hydrate her, and the inquest was told this was sign of hydrophobia, a fear of water commons in rabies cases.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

Succession concluded before generative A.I. overcame the creative commons, but it’s likely the budget-slashing Tom would have readily embraced the tech much as D’Amaro has.

From Slate • Feb. 4, 2026

The sum of all this is a tragedy of the education commons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

The Free Table began as a kind of informal commons, a collision point of surplus and need.

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2025

The commons realized in the same instant as Ned that the blue of the flowers came from sapphires; a gasp went up from a thousand throats.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin