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

But the most up-to-date data shows that the hazard ratio didn’t degrade much over time, which commonly happens after experimental therapies move from smaller Phase 2 trials into larger Phase 3 studies.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

That classification is commonly used to shield a variety of federal records from public release, including those containing personnel information, details about ongoing law enforcement operations and matters protected by attorney-client privilege.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

One of the study's most intriguing findings involved fatty acids, molecules that are commonly associated with nutrition and energy storage but also influence inflammation throughout the body.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

The big therapy chains focus on applied behavior analysis, or ABA, commonly given in clinics or at home to children as young as 2.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Cells of all sorts are commonly likened to biochemical factories, busy ferments in which dozens of mechanisms are working away in complex sequences that are half Rube Goldberg, half ballet.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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Related Words

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

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