Definition of 'commune'
Word Frequency
commune
Word forms: plural , 3rd person singular present
tense communes, present participle communing
, past tense , past participle communed
pronunciation note: The noun is pronounced (kɒmjuːn
). The verb is pronounced (kəmjuːn
).
1. countable noun
A commune is a group of people who live together and share everything.
Mack lived in a commune.
2. countable noun
In France and some other countries, a commune is a town, village, or area which has its own council.
3. verb
If you say that someone is communing with an animal or spirit, or with nature, you mean that they appear to be communicating with it.
[literary]
He was so happy communing with the dolphin in Dingle Bay.
She would happily trot behind him as he set off to commune with nature.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
verb
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin of 'commune'
C16: back formation from communionnoun
1.
2.
any small group of people having common interests or responsibilities
3.
4.
the government or inhabitants of a commune
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin of 'commune'
C18: from French, from Medieval Latin commūnia, from Latin: things held in common, from commūnis commonnoun French history
2.
a committee that governed Paris during the French Revolution and played a leading role in the Reign of Terror: suppressed 1794
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
noun
1. Archaic
the common people
3.
the smallest administrative district of local government in France, Belgium, and some other countries in Europe
4.
5. US
a small group of people living communally and sharing in work, earnings, etc.
Idioms:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin of 'commune'
ME & OFr < ML communia, orig. pl. of L commune, lit., that which is common < communis, common verb intransitiveWord forms: comˈmuned or comˈmuning
noun
3. OLD-FASHIONED , Poetic
intimate conversation
Idioms:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin of 'commune'
ME communen < OFr comuner, to make common, share < comun (see common); also < OFr communier, to administer the sacrament < L communicare, to share (LL(Ec), to receive the sacrament): see communicateExample sentences containing 'commune'
He insisted that you were a member of his commune, born there and belonging there.
I.O.U. - SOMEONE HAS TO PAY (2000)`Then again, I doubt she'd have told you about the film she made while she was staying at the commune.
CODE BREAKER (2000)I learned to feel the land in a new way, to hear its murmurs, to shepherd its resources, to commune with its vastness.
DREAMS OF INNOCENCE (2000)Trends of 'commune'
View usage over:
Translations for 'commune'
British English: commune NOUN
A commune is a group of people who live together and share everything.They lived in a commune.
A commune is a group of people who live together and share everything.They lived in a commune.
Source
Definition of commune from the
Collins English Dictionary
Cyber fraud
Why every generation is at risk
Read more
We take a look at the etymology behind the word 'election' in the run-up to the UK General Election in June
Language expert Ian Brookes looks at the word 'election' and its origins.
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Comments