com‧mon 1 S1 W1 / kɒmən $ kɑ- / 形容词
1 happening often happening often and to many people or in many places 反义词 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. ► Do not 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.
2 a lot existing in large numbers 反义词 rare :
Daisies are very common flowers.
3 same/similar [名词前通常用，无比较级] common aims, beliefs, ideas etc are shared by several people or groups :
people working towards a common goal
countries that share a common language
common to
a theme that is common to all her novels
4 common ground facts, features, or beliefs that are shared by people or things that are very different
common ground between
There is a great deal of common ground between management and trade unions on this issue.
5 shared by everyone [无比较级] belonging to or shared by everyone in a society
common to
These problems are common to all societies.
Joe was chosen as captain by common consent (= with everyone’s agreement ) .
6 common knowledge something everyone knows :
It is common knowledge that travel broadens the mind.
7 the common good the advantage of everyone :
They work together for the common good.
8 common practice a usual or accepted way of doing things :
It was common practice for families to attend church together.
9 ordinary [名词前用，无比较级] 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/politeness a polite way of behaving that you expect from people :
It would be common courtesy to return their hospitality.
11 common or garden British English ordinary 同义词 garden-variety American English :
a common or garden dispute
12 make/find common cause (with/against somebody) formal to join with other people or groups in order to achieve something :
France and Russia made common cause against Britain.
13 common touch the ability of someone in a position of power or authority to talk to and understand ordinary people – used to show approval :
He’s made it to the top without losing the common touch.
14 social class British English old-fashioned an offensive word used for describing someone from a low social class
THESAURUS
common if something is common, there are a lot of them : Jones 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 people : Racism is much more widespread than people imagine. | The report claimed that the problem of police brutality was widespread. | the widespread availability of antibiotics
commonplace [名词前不用] especially written common in a particular place or time – used especially when saying that this seems surprising or unusual : Crimes 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 ideas : Flu 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 / [名词前不用] very common – used about illnesses or problems : AIDS is rife in some parts of the world.
ubiquitous / jubɪkwətəs, jubɪkwɪtəs / formal very common and seen in many different places – often used humorously in written descriptions : He 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 places : Images 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.