communal

American  

[kuh-myoon-l, kom-yuh-nl] / kəˈmyun l, ˈkɒm yə nl /

adjective

1. used or shared in common by everyone in a group.

   a communal jug of wine.

2. of, by, or belonging to the people of a community; shared or participated in by the public.

   communal land; Building the playground was a communal project.

   Synonyms:

   collective, common, public

3. pertaining to a commune or a community.

   communal life.

4. engaged in by or involving two or more communities.

   communal conflict.

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communal British  

/ ˌkɒmjʊˈnælɪtɪ, ˈkɒmjʊnəl /

adjective

1. belonging or relating to a community as a whole

2. relating to different groups within a society

   communal strife

3. of or relating to a commune or a religious community

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Other Word Forms

• communality noun
• communally adverb
• intercommunal adjective
• noncommunal adjective
• noncommunally adverb
• uncommunal adjective

Etymology

Origin of communal

First recorded in 1805–15; from French, from Latin commūnālis, equivalent to commūn(e) “community, state” + -ālis adjective suffix; commune ², -al ¹

Example Sentences

There is another en-suite bedroom, and two bedrooms share a communal bathroom.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

A meetinghouse stood at the center of every village created by the Shakers, the separatist and celibate Christian religious sect founded in the 18th century that was devoted to communal living and simple, functional design.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

While classrooms may not be fun, they are indisputably a communal experience.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026

“He kinda kept to himself and didn’t really care to reach out in any communal way.”

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Perhaps the Cambridge band was communal while the one at Oxford was based on nuclear families.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari