From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcommunitycom‧mu‧ni‧ty /kəˈmjuːnəti/ ●●● S1 W1 noun (plural communities) 1 PEOPLE[countable]SOCIETY the people who live in the same area, town etc The new arts centre will serve the whole community. community education programmescommunity relations/affairs/needs etc We meet once a month to discuss community problems.community groups/leaders etc Community leaders met to discuss the proposed golf course.community spirit (=the desire to be friendly with and help other people who live in the same community)2 [countable]GROUP OF PEOPLE a group of people who have the same interests, religion, race etc different ethnic communitiesthe gay/black/Asian etc community the gay community in San Franciscothe business/academic/scientific etc community3 → the community4 → sense of community5 PLANTS/ANIMALS[countable]LIVE SOMEWHERE a group of plants or animals that live in the same environment Communities of otters are slowly returning to British rivers.GRAMMAR: Singular or plural verb?• Community is usually followed by a singular verb: The whole community gets involved in planning the festival.• In British English, you can also use a plural verb: The whole community get involved in planning the festival.COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: the people who live in the same area, town etcadjectivesthe local communityOur school is the centre of the local community.the whole communityThe committee meets to discuss issues that affect the whole community.a small/large community75% of the population live in small communities of fewer than 450 people.the wider community (=the community of which a small group is a part)The sports centre is available to both the university and the wider community.a rural community (=a community in a country area)There is a need for better public transport for people in rural communities.a village communityOutside the capital, most people live in village communities.a farming communitya small farming community of about 1,000 inhabitantsa mining communityShe was brought up in a small mining community in North Wales.a close/close-knit/tight-knit community (=where all the people know each other)I live in a close-knit community where there's lots of support.a thriving community (=a community which is successful)In the past the village was a thriving community with a number of shops.community + NOUNa community centre British English, community center American English (=where people can go for social events, classes etc)A community centre is the ideal place for local residents to get together to discuss crime prevention. a community groupCommunity groups do not have enough say over what is built in their neighbourhoods.a community leaderCommunity leaders meet regularly to discuss local problems.community services (=providing schools, health facilities, roads etc)Some tax goes towards paying for your community services.community relationsPoor community relations are more common in urban areas than in the rest of the country.community spirit (=wanting to give friendship and support to other people who live in the same community)There is great community spirit in the village where I live.community care (=care for the sick, the old etc in their community rather than in hospital)Several voluntary organizations are involved in providing community care.community educationCommunity education includes classes, workshops, and summer schools.phrasesa member of a communityIt's good to feel that you are a member of a community.a pillar of the community (=a well respected and active member of a community)The doctor was regarded as a pillar of the local community. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: a group of people who have the same interests, religion, race etcADJECTIVES/NOUN + communitythe business/scientific/academic etc communityThe idea has received intense interest from the business community.the Jewish/Christian/Muslim etc communityThe mosque serves the local Muslim community.a religious community (=people with a particular religion, who often keep themselves separate from society)The buildings belong to a strict religious community.the black/white/Asian etc communityThe city has a large Asian community.an ethnic community (=people of a particular race, usually one that is not white or not the majority in a country)Most members of ethnic communities in Britain were born here.the gay community (=people who are homosexual)This part of the city has a large gay community.a minority community (=people whose race, religion etc is different from most of the other people in the country)There should be better provision for the needs of minority communities.
Examples from the Corpus
community• Community leaders met with city officials to discuss the proposed golf course.• More than 10,000 people responded, showing up at community forums and sending messages via the Internet.• Borrego Springs, a desert community, was the hottest place in the nation today.• These areas support diverse communities of birds and animals.• Miami has a large Cuban exile community.• the gay community• New York's Jewish community• It will be even more important for a school to have good communications with parents and the local community.• The murder has shocked the local community.• We arrived on Flag Day, and this proud community put its colors on display.• For the community of disciples the crucifixion was not the end.• Few now seek residential care because of that support in the community.• He was one of the community, he knew everyone, their backgrounds and where their sympathies lay.• In Phoenix the community development block grant was implemented within this context of rapid development.• An arts center will benefit the whole community.community spirit• Such a community spirit is also reinforced through the shared misfortune of mining disasters.• Extensive travel, fine knowledge in marketing, public relations and community spirit will be helpful.• The results highlighted the attachment people feel to their area and the strong sense of community spirit.• Other factors have contributed to the weakening of community spirit.• Benefit yourself and others and enter into the community spirit for the coming year.• But above all I shall remember the community spirit that emerged.• This community spirit even extends beyond Silver Lake proper.the business/academic/scientific etc community• Once an explanation has been accepted by the scientific community as a whole, it is very hard to dislodge it.• Leadership also must come from the business community.• Depending on the circumstances, key players came from within the high schools, the colleges, or the business community.• It follows that the academic community and research are directly interrelated.• But reservations such as his were drowned out in the widespread cacophony of support-including from throughout the academic community.• The symbol gets the same message across to your existing employees, to the business community and to the general public.From Longman Business Dictionarycommunitycom‧mu‧ni‧ty /kəˈmjuːnəti/ noun (plural communities) [countable]1all the people who live in the same area, city etcThe new arts centre will serve the whole community.2a group of people who all share the same nationality, religion, or interestsMiami’s black community3COMMERCE business community the companies, businesses, and businesspeople operating in an areaEdinburgh’s business community4COMMERCEORGANIZATIONS the business community businesspeople acting as a group in order to influence government or public opinionThe business community isn’t happy with some of the Democratic Party’s proposals.5the international community all the countries of the worldThe international community agreed that industrialised countries should allocate 4% of overall foreign aid to population programmes.Origin community (1300-1400) Old French comuneté, from Latin communitas, from communis; → COMMON1 