comun

Común, or comun in non-accented spellings, is a term found in several Romance languages with related meanings centered on sharing, publicness, or generality. It derives from the Latin communis and is cognate with the English word common.

In Spanish, común is an adjective meaning common, ordinary, or shared by all. It appears in phrases such as propiedad común (common property) and bienes comunes (the commons). The form is invariable for gender, with the plural comunes. In historical or legal language, el común can also refer to the general public or the community as a social group.

In Romanian, comun is an adjective meaning public or communal, used in compounds describing shared or public aspects of life or property.

Across languages, the root also underlies related terms in English and other tongues, such as common, community, and commune. The concept commonly contrasts with private or individual ownership and is associated with shared resources, collective life, and general or public use. In some contexts, historical or legal terminology preserves forms of the root to denote communal rights or the rights of the community to common lands or facilities. The precise usage and connotations of comun/común can vary by language and region, but the central idea remains the same: something that is not exclusively private to one person or entity, but accessible or relevant to a larger group.