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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Example Sentences

Reddit forums and Discord servers act as digital commons, replacing the sense of civic belonging that once came from churches or neighborhoods.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From The Wall Street Journal

China increasingly represents the “industrial commons” where state-directed programs combined with new technologies make it an advanced industrial competitor, the commission’s report said.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From Salon

I’d like the city to think big on behalf of the greater good — the commons, as it used to be called — instead of the individual.

From Los Angeles Times