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

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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

It commonly marks the deity Lord Ram's victory over the mythological 10-headed king Ravan.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

The callers commonly ask the homeowner to make payments by money orders to third-party ‘attorneys.’

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

PMMA, which is commonly known as acrylic, generated less.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Shares of Aramco, as it is more commonly known, fell 1% in Riyadh.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

This tactic was commonly used by industrialists to combat strikes and was well-known among laborers.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

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Related Words

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

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