the Definition

common
adj

1. Often met with; frequent; familiar.

Example: a common mistake
Thesaurus: habitual, regular, inveterate; customary, characteristic.
2. Shared by two or more people, things, etc.

Example: characteristics common to both animals
3. Publicly owned.

Thesaurus: communal, public, shared, joint, mutual; Antonym: private.
4. Said of a standard one has a right to expect.

Example: common decency
5. Widespread.

Example: common knowledge
Thesaurus: general, widespread, well-known, familiar, prevalent; Antonym: secret.
6. derog
Lacking taste or refinement; vulgar.
7a. Said of the ordinary type;

Example: the common cold
Thesaurus: ordinary, average, conventional, plain, quotidian, mediocre; Antonym: unique, distinguished.
7b. Especially of plants and animals: general or ordinary.

Example: common toad
Example: common bindweed
8. Not of high rank or class.

Example: the common people
9. math.
Shared by two or more numbers.
Example: highest common factor

noun

1. A piece of land that is publicly owned or available for public use.
2. law.
A right to something, or to do something, on someone else's land.
3. slang
Common sense. See also commons.

Derivative: commonly
adverb

Derivative: commonness
noun

Idiom: the

Common touch an ability, in someone distinguished by accomplishment or rank, to relate sociably to ordinary people.

Idiom: in common

Said of two people with regard to their interests, etc: shared.

In joint use or ownership.
Example: a garden owned in common by the residents

Idiom: make common cause

To co-operate to achieve a common aim.

Etymology: 13c: as commun, from French comun, from Latin communis.

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the
definite article

1. Used to refer to a particular person or thing, or group of people or things, already mentioned, implied or known.

Example: Pass me the CD
2. Used to refer to a unique person or thing.

Example: the Pope
3. Used before a singular noun: denoting all the members of a group or class.

Example: a history of the novel
4a. Used before an adjective: denoting something that is (a specified thing);

Example: the paranormal
4b. Used before an adjective: denoting people who are (a specified thing).

Example: the poor
5. Used before certain titles and proper names.
6. Used before an adjective or noun describing an identified person.

Example: Robert the Bruce
7. Used after a preposition to refer to a unit of quantity or time, etc.

Example: a car which does forty miles to the gallon
Example: paid by the hour
8. colloq
My; our.
Example: I'd better check with the wife

adverb

1. Used before comparative adjectives or adverbs to indicate (by) so much or (by) how much.

Example: the sooner the better
2. Used before superlative adjectives and adverbs to indicate an amount beyond all others.

Example: like this book the best

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon, meaning ‘who', ‘which' or ‘that', replacing earlier se that.