1. 普遍的，常见的　 usual or familiar happening or found often and in many place
2. 公有的，共有的，共同的　 shared by, done by or affecting two or more people
3. 一般的，平常的　 ordinary

　～ cup　公用杯子
　～ error among scholars　学者们常犯的错误
　～ ground　（利益与观念上的）共同基础
　～ market　共同市场
　～ people　平民，大众
　～ property　公共财产
　～ revolutionary goal　共同的革命目标
　less ～　不普遍
　quite ～　相当普通的
　～ among　在…很常见
　～ between　两者共有之处
　～ with　与…共有的

　It's a common word.　这是一个常见的词。
　This is a common saying.　这是一句俗话。
　This is in the common interest of the Third World.　这是第三世界的共同利益。
　Britain and America share a common language.　英国和美国共用一种语言。
　We must take care of the common property.　我们必须爱护公物。
　Whether we can succeed or not depends on our common efforts.　我们能否成功取决于我们共同的努力。
　Three is a common factor of 6, 9 and 12. 　3是6、9和12的公约数。
　The nobles used to treat the common people with haughty contempt.　贵族在过去惯于傲慢和轻蔑地对待平民。
　Grass is a very common plant.　草是一种很普通的植物。
　Rabbits and foxes are common.　兔子和狐狸是常见的。
　Snow is common in cold countries.　在寒冷的国家，雪是常见的。
　Automobile accidents are far too common.　汽车事故太常见了。
　Contractions are much more common in speech than in writing.　缩略词在口语里比在书写中常见得多。
　Poverty, disease and crime are common in the slums.　贫穷、疾病与罪恶在贫民区里到处可见。
　Certain desires are common to all men.　某些欲望对所有的人是共有的。

 ♣ common as an old shoe
　平易近人的，虚怀若谷的　easy closed
　The most famous people are sometimes as common as an old shoe.　最出名的人有时也是很平易近人的。
 ♣ common ground
　共同利益〔信念〕　general interest or faith
　We should seek common ground while reserving differences.　我们应该求同存异。
 ♣ common knowledge
　人所共知的事　general knowledge
　It is common knowledge that the earth is round.　地球是圆的是人所共知的事。
　It is common knowledge among politicians that an election will soon be called.　不久即将举行大选，这是从政者都知道的事。
 ♣ common sense
　普通的见识，常识　general sense
　Although she's not very clever she's got lots of common sense.　尽管她不是很聪明，但她见识很多。
　He is void of common sense.　他缺乏常识。
　It is congenial with reason and common sense.　那是符合情理和常识的。
 ♣ common touch
　平易近人的，亲近和睦的　easy closed
　Voters like a candidate who has the common touch.　投票者喜欢那些平易近人的候选人。

 ♣ common, general, normal, ordinary
　这四个词都有“普通的”“常见的”意思。其区别是：common强调许多事物具有某种共同点而“不足为奇”; general指普遍于大多数人或事物中，有“较少例外”的含义；normal形容人或物“符合常态或常规”; ordinary指与一般事物的性质标准相同，强调“平常”而无奇特之处。例如：

 ♣ common, joint, mutual, reciprocal
　参见mutual条。
 ♣ common, universal, usual
　这三个词都有“平常的”“常见的”意思。其区别是：
　common　用于物指“不稀奇”“很平常”，用于人指“没有职位”“不高贵”; universal指对所有的人或所有事物都适用，没有例外；usual指“经常的”“惯用的”，强调习惯性的、符合规章制度的或一贯如此的。例如：

　司机在开车时睡觉是很常见的。
　［误］ It is quite common that motorists fall asleep while driving.
　［正］ It is quite common for motorists to fall asleep while driving.
　［析］ 在common之后不可用that引导的从句。

　common　还可作名词，表示“公有”“公用”“平常”。例如：
　He has a lot in common with his father.　他和他的父亲有许多共同之处。
　He noticed nothing out of the common.　他没有注意到有什么异常的地方。

　［同义词］ accepted, average, coarse, collective, commonplace, flat, frequent, general, usual, vulgar
　［反义词］ noteworthy, uncommon
　［词源］　古法语commun （公同尽职责，尽义务）