commons
commons Lexical Profile
commons Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Land or resources belonging to or affecting the whole of a community or the general public.
"Protecting the global commons requires international cooperation on climate and ocean conservation."
North American A large central dining hall or social gathering area in a residential school, college, or university.
"The students gathered in the campus commons after their morning lectures to eat lunch together."
British The elected lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom or Canada (usually capitalized as the House of Commons).
"The prime minister faced tough questioning in the Commons over the proposed budget."
The common people collectively, regarded as a social or political class distinct from the nobility and clergy.
"Historically, representatives of the commons petitioned the monarch for redress of grievances."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although plural in form, "commons" can take either a singular or plural verb depending on the sense: it typically takes a singular verb when referring to a university dining hall (e.g., "the commons is open"), and a plural verb when referring to shared resources or the House of Commons.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English comunes, borrowed from Old French communes ("common people, shared land"), from the plural of Latin communis ("shared, public, general").