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

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

The FDA later identified in testing that the baby wipes were contaminated with Burkholderia cepacia and Burkholderia gladioli, bacterias commonly found in soil and water, in product samples tested by the FDA.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

And Rossetti isn’t alone in seeing a spiritual nexus of a topic that, at least in secular circles, is more commonly discussed in the context of aliens.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026

The team's approach is based on cavity quantum electrodynamics, commonly known as cavity QED.

From Science Daily • Jun. 6, 2026

President Trump pledged support for year-round sales of fuel with 15% ethanol blend, commonly referred to as the E15 bill.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

On the jiggeh was a large woven-straw container, the kind commonly used to carry rice.

From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

Related Words

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