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

See Examples For:

commonly

In IT, for example, cybersecurity-threat detection, service-desk automation and code generation are the most commonly pursued applications.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

The most commonly cited figure is $32.6 trillion over 10 years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

"This is an unacceptable shift away from, and abolition of, the policy that urged companies to shorten work hours," the National Confederation of Trade Unions in Tokyo, commonly known as Zenroren, said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

It is derived from an Iroquoian word commonly translated as “lake of shining waters.”

From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026

Padva inquires after the Burgess sisters arrive on their own, since he commonly accompanies them.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

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