Gemeiner
Gemeiner is the comparative form of the German adjective gemein. In modern German, gemein has two primary meanings, which determine how gemeiner is interpreted in context. One is mean, cruel, or spiteful (unfriendly). The other is common or ordinary, as in something that is shared or widespread, though the latter sense is less common in everyday speech today and is often conveyed by synonyms such as gewöhnlich or allgemein.
As a comparative, gemeiner is used to compare two things or people. For example: Dieser Trick ist
Etymology traces gemein to Old High German gemein and Proto-Germanic *gamainiz, meaning something shared or common.
In addition to its use as an adjective, there is an historical or literary noun usage of
Translations of gemeiner depend on sense: as mean or cruel, it corresponds to “meaner” or “more mean”;