(functioning as plural) people not of noble birth viewed as forming a political order
(functioning as plural) the lower classes as contrasted to the ruling classes of society; the commonalty
(functioning as singular) a building or hall for dining, recreation, etc, usually attached to a college
(usually functioning as plural) food or rations (esp in the phrase short commons )
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."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They are where the public realm begins, the front line of the commons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Leo writes that modern technology has wonderful benefits like the establishment and ease of worldwide interconnections, the formation of global community and solidarity via the digital commons.
From Slate ● May 28, 2026
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
Even Maekar’s political analysis cracks when confronted with the visual of Baelor standing in the mud with borrowed armor, fighting off Duncan’s foes, and of the assembled commons cheering for the hedge knight.
From Salon ● Feb. 25, 2026
I raced toward the commons area, where the twelve cabins—one for each Olympian god—made a U around the central green.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
Following her departure from the Commons in 2010, Widdecombe appeared on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing that year, and was a runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother eight years later.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle can recall Parliament during the recess if asked to by the government, once deciding whether it is in the public interest.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed the suspect was not known to the government's Prevent anti-terror scheme.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The fracas forced Peel’s ouster, leaving Conservatives in the House of Commons diminished.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
When Neville Chamberlain addressed the House of Commons on September 1,1939, his statement of the facts was brief, clear, and plausible, but suffused with moral and emotional judgment.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
