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

The outgoing interim government says that between January and December 2025, police records show 645 incidents involving minorities but insists that nearly nine in 10 were not communal.

From BBC

Perhaps that atomization is why large communal events are still so popular.

From The Wall Street Journal

The residents initially complained about the intruders "causing damage and leaving rubbish in communal areas".

From BBC

In its way, “Today” has become a bright candle of remembrance and a symbol of communal care, along with a reminder that these broadly recognizable figures are still as human as the rest of us.

From Salon

Together, we bought a house using communal assets.

From MarketWatch