Common means happening often or found in many places, or shared by a group of people. It can also mean ordinary or not special.
From Old French *comun*, from Latin *communis* “shared, general, belonging to all,” from *com-* “together” + a root related to *munus* “service, duty.” The sense of “ordinary” came from things being widely shared or widespread.
Originally, “common” was about sharing—what belongs to the community, not just one person. The slide from ‘shared’ to ‘ordinary’ shows how our brains often devalue what many people have, even if it’s precious.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.