communally

Communally is an adverb used to describe actions or arrangements that involve the whole community or are shared among members rather than carried out by individuals alone. It is the adverbial form of communal, which derives from the Latin communis meaning common.

In social science and governance, communally describes processes that are collectively managed or governed by a group, such as resources, decision-making, or living arrangements. It can apply to land or property held in common, to cooperative enterprises, or to rituals and practices organized by a community. The term emphasizes shared ownership, responsibility, or participation rather than individual possession.

Examples include a village that eats and works communally, a cooperatively run store that is funded communally by members, or a community land trust where land is held communally for the benefit of residents. The use of communally can contrast with privately or individually, highlighting collective action and norms of mutual aid. In some contexts, it may carry connotations of egalitarian or in-group orientation.

See also: communal, communism, commons, cooperative, collective.