From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcommoncom‧mon1 /ˈkɒmən $ ˈkɑː-/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective 1 happening oftenCOMMON happening often and to many people or in many places OPP rare Heart disease is one of the commonest causes of death.common among Bad dreams are fairly common among children.it’s common for somebody to do something It’s common for new fathers to feel jealous of the baby. ► Don’t say ‘It is common that ... ’ Say ‘It is common for ... ’ It is common for children to be afraid (NOT It is common that children are afraid) of the dark.► see thesaurus at normal2 a lot existing in large numbers OPP rare Daisies are very common flowers.3 same/similar [usually before noun, no comparative]SAME common aims, beliefs, ideas etc are shared by several people or groups people working towards a common goal countries that share a common languagecommon to a theme that is common to all her novels4 → common ground5 shared by everyone [no comparative]EVERYONE belonging to or shared by everyone in a societycommon to These problems are common to all societies. Joe was chosen as captain by common consent (=with everyone’s agreement).6 → common knowledge7 → the common good8 → common practice9 ordinary [only before noun, no comparative]ORDINARY ordinary and not special in any way common salt The 20th century was called the century of the common man (=ordinary people). He insists that he is a revolutionary, not a common criminal. 10 → common courtesy/decency/politeness11 → common or garden12 → make/find common cause (with/against somebody)13 → common touch14 social class British English old-fashioned an offensive word used for describing someone from a low social classTHESAURUScommon if something is common, there are a lot of themJones is a very common name in Great Britain.Foxes are common in the area.Personal computers are nearly as common in American homes as televisions.widespread happening in a lot of places or done by a lot of peopleRacism is much more widespread than people imagine.The report claimed that the problem of police brutality was widespread.the widespread availability of antibiotics commonplace [not before noun] especially written common in a particular place or time – used especially when saying that this seems surprising or unusualCrimes such as robbery are commonplace in big cities.Expensive foreign cars are commonplace in this Chicago suburb.prevalent formal common in a place or among a group of people – used especially about illnesses, problems, or ideasFlu is most prevalent during the winter months.Depression remains one of the most prevalent health disorders in the US.This belief is more prevalent among men than women.rife /raɪf/ [not before noun] very common – used about illnesses or problemsAIDS is rife in some parts of the world.ubiquitous /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/ formal very common and seen in many different places – often used humorously in written descriptionsHe was carrying the ubiquitous MP3 player. In Britain, CCTV cameras are ubiquitous.something is everywhere especially spoken used when saying that you can see something a lot in many different placesImages of the dictator were everywhere.Microchips seem to be everywhere these days – even in washing machines.One of the first things you notice in Amsterdam are the bicycles – they’re everywhere.
Examples from the Corpus
common• The condition is most common among women aged 18 to 24.• Monkeys and apes are so similar that it is reasonable to say they have a common ancestor.• Foxes are very common around here.• My daughter says politics is boring, which is a common attitude among teenagers.• The Allies worked to defeat a common enemy.• It's very common for older children to feel jealous after the birth of a baby.• It's becoming more and more common for women to keep their family name when they marry.• Many of the more common forms of cancer can be treated successfully if detected early.• Students and faculty are working toward a common goal.• Personal computers are nearly as common in American homes as televisions.• Foxes are common in the area.• Petty theft and pickpocketing are becoming increasingly common in the city centre.• Dating agencies try to match people with similar personalities and common interests.• Luckily we all had a common language, English, which meant we could communicate with each other.• Olson is a very common last name in Minnesota.• It's a common mathematical error.• Jones is a very common name in Britain.• Malaria is particularly common near swamps where mosquitoes can breed.• A common reason for not hiring someone is their lack of writing skills.• Flatheads are a common type of fish and good to eat.common among• Osteoporosis, a bone disease, is common among older women.common to• These problems are common to all big cities.• The theme of the family is common to all Engle's novels.by common consent• We have social rights and duties that are defined by common consent.the common man• The song is a tribute to the common man.commoncommon2 ●●○ noun 1 → have something in common (with somebody)2 → have something in common (with something)3 → in common with somebody/something4 [countable]AREA a large area of open land in a town or village that people walk or play sport on Boston CommonOrigin common1 (1200-1300) Old French commun, from Latin communis 