LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
English → Latin

“common” in Latin

The English word common itself goes back to Latin commūnis.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

common
That in which the persons spoken of participate alike: communis (in which all have or may have a share, opposed to proprius): publicus (that which belongs to or concerns the whole people or the state, opposed to privatus): A common fault, vitium commune: the common sense of mankind, communis sensus (i. e., moral perception, tact, etc.,: e.g., in the intercourse between man and man: it afterward came to have nearly the meaning of our “common sense;” e.g., sensum communem auferre, sound human understanding, Phaedrus, 1, 7, 4. In this meaning, sensus alone was used: persona furore detenta sensum non habet, Ulpius, Dig, Nearly so omnes eripere alicui sensus, Catullus): To speak according to the common sentiment of men, ex communi hominum opinione dicere: The common weal or good, bonum publicum; salus communis or publica (the common welfare) res publica (the state in general): the common wealth, publica res or res publica: this is common to free nations, hoc commune est liberorum populorum: to have a common cause with anybody, in eadem cum aliquo causa, esse: to make common cause with anybody, causam suam or consilia sua conjungere cum aliquo: common interest, utilitatis communio: to have a common interest with anybody, utilitatis communione sociatum esse. OBS. Instead of “common to A and B,” the Romans often said “common to A with B.” Thus: these things are common to rich and poor, communia ista locupletibus sunt cum pauperibus; this is common to us and (or with) the brute creation, commune est nobis aliquid cum bestiis. IN COMMON, communiter; in promiscuo; promiscue; publice: to have every thing in common with anybody, omnia cum aliquo communiter possidere (Cic.): To have anything in common with anybody, est mihi aliquid commune cum aliquo: haec mihi cum aliquo conjuncta et communia sunt (Cic.): They have every thing in common, omnium rerum est inter eos communitas: between friends let every thing, without exception, be in common, inter amicos sit omnium rerum sine ullà exceptione communitas (Cic.).
Common to the greater number of persons, to the multitude: communis (but without the accessary notion of meanness):
Ordinary, mean, low, popularis (usual among the people: hence, of inferior quality, etc., general term): vulgaris, pervulgaris (common to the multitude, to be found or met with every where; then, general term low, bad): vulgatus, pervulgatus, pervagatus: (the words are found in this connexion and order.) communis et pervagatus (spread every where known): usitatus (habitual, usual): quotidianus (met with every day): plebeius (belonging to the common people: uncivilized, low): A common saying, proverbium vulgare or contritum or sermone tritum; proverbium, quod in omnium ore est or versatur: common life, vita quotidiana: the language of common life, genus sermonis usitatum: eloquence borrows or derives its materials from common life, dicendi ratio in communi quodam usu versatur: A common beauty, forma vulgaris or quotidiana: common salt, sal popularis (Catullus): no common abilities, haud mediocre ingenium: A common soldier, miles gregarius (more, however, as term of contempt, since miles by itself, designates the common soldier, opposed to officer): The COMMONS; plebs (the common people, opposed to to patricii and equites): vulgus (of low extraction and profession, stands for every common and low multitude, e.g., of the people, soldiers, etc.): faex populi (the scum of the people): a common man, homo vulgaris, unus e or de multis (one of the great multitude); homo de plebe: plebeius (a common citizen); homo infimo or sordido loco natus: homo sordidus. homo obscurus (of low, obscure birth); homo rudis (an uneducated person); homo inhonestus (a dishonest, vile person): a quite common person, homo ultimae sortis (with respect to extraction); homo inhonestissimus (relative to character): A common prostitute, puella or mulier vulgaris; mulier, quae domum omnium libidinibus patefecit; prostibulum: the son of a common prostitute, ex vulgato corpore genitus: to make one’s self common with anybody, se abjicere ad alicujus usum ac consuetudinem (☞ Cic., Parad., 1, 3, 14; De Legg., 1, 9, 26): not to make one’s self common with anybody, alicujus aditum sermonemque defugere to raise one’s self, or to be, above the common level, plus sapere, quam ceteri: far above, etc., longe ab imperitorum intelligentia sensuque sejunctum esse: Not to be raised above the common level, in medio positum esse (Cic.): in intellect, mediocris esse ingenii (Cic.): to become common, increbrescere (of a custom, etc.): to introduce anything into common life, ad vitam communem adducere (of anything that was before confined to a higher sphere: e.g., philosophiam):
General, universus: generalis (relating to the whole): communis (common, relating or belonging to all): vulgaris, tritus (common or habitual): (the words are found in this connexion and order.) vulgaris communisque (relating to the general use of a thing): In some instances “common” in this signification is expressed by omnis: this is the common talk, hic sermo omnibus est in ore: This is a common fault of singers, omnibus hoc vitium est cantoribus (Hortius): A common term, *notio communis (which is common to more than one thing): common law, jus civile (Vid: Cic., Caecin: 26, 73): the common weal or welfare, res publica, salus: to consult the common good, in commune conferre, consulere or consultare.
common s.
ager publicus (Cic.): ager compascuus (common pasture, Cic., Top., 3, 12).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for common?
The usual Latin words for “common” are commūnis, pūblicus, populāris; also vulgō, pervulgō, pervagor. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.