community

[ kuh-myoo-ni-tee ]

noun

, plural com·mu·ni·ties.

1. a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.
2. a locality inhabited by such a group.
3. a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists: the community of scholars;

   the business community;

   the community of scholars;

   diversity within a college community;

   London's Jewish and Muslim communities.

4. a group of associated nations sharing common interests or a common heritage:

   the community of Western Europe.

5. Ecclesiastical. a group of men or women leading a common life according to a rule.
6. Ecology. an assemblage of interacting populations occupying a given area.
7. joint possession, enjoyment, liability, etc.:

   community of property.

8. similarity; agreement; identity:

   community of interests.

   Synonyms: likeness, correspondence

9. the community, the public; society:

   the needs of the community.

community

/ kəˈmjuːnɪtɪ /

noun

1. 1. the people living in one locality
   2. the locality in which they live
   3. ( as modifier )

      community spirit

2. a group of people having cultural, religious, ethnic, or other characteristics in common

   the Protestant community

3. a group of nations having certain interests in common
4. the public in general; society
5. common ownership or participation
6. similarity or agreement

   community of interests

7. (in Wales since 1974 and Scotland since 1975) the smallest unit of local government; a subdivision of a district
8. ecology a group of interdependent plants and animals inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other through food and other relationships

community

/ kə-myo̅o̅′nĭ-tē /

1. A group of organisms or populations living and interacting with one another in a particular environment. The organisms in a community affect each other's abundance, distribution, and evolutionary adaptation. Depending on how broadly one views the interaction between organisms, a community can be small and local, as in a pond or tree, or regional or global, as in a biome.

Other Words From

• com·muni·tal adjective
• procom·munity adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of community¹

First recorded in 1325–75; from Latin commūnitās, equivalent to commūni(s) “common” + -tās noun suffix; replacing Middle English comunete, from Middle French, from Latin as above; common, -ty ²;

Word History and Origins

Origin of community¹

C14: from Latin commūnitās, from commūnis common

Synonym Study

Community, hamlet, village, town, city are terms for groups of people living in somewhat close association, and usually under common rules. Community is a general term, and town is often loosely applied. A commonly accepted set of connotations envisages hamlet as a small group, village as a somewhat larger one, town still larger, and city as very large. Size is, however, not the true basis of differentiation, but properly sets off only hamlet. Incorporation, or the absence of it, and the type of government determine the classification of the others.

Example Sentences

The community does not yet have adequate testing, contact tracing, or isolation.

From Vox

Sky glow is a term that’s already in use in the light pollution community, so that’s not my favorite term.

From Quanta Magazine

She sought input from various community stakeholders, many of whom had been rankled by her appointment to lead the police division.

From Science News

Organizations like his try to do outreach and help convert messaging into something that resonates with underrepresented communities, but they are stretched thin, especially with the coronavirus pandemic and recent racial justice movement.

From Voice of San Diego

She last wrote for Eater about the rise of community fridges across the country.

From Eater

We have thousands of users who identify themselves as transgendered and they are welcome members of the Grindr community.

From The Daily Beast

Some gay apps, like the newer Mister, have not subscribed to the community/tribe model.

From The Daily Beast

What matters is being honest, humble, and a faithful and loyal friend, father and member of your community.

From The Daily Beast

The need for increased community policing is more urgent than ever before.

From The Daily Beast

Marrying another Jew was not just a personal simcha (joy), but one for the community.

From The Daily Beast

But hitherto, before these new ideas began to spread in our community, the mass of men and women definitely settled down.

From Project Gutenberg

I doubt if the modern community can afford to continue it; it certainly cannot afford to extend it very widely.

From Project Gutenberg

And could it not be extended from its present limited range until it reached practically the whole adolescent community?

From Project Gutenberg

It was not, however, through any of these artificial means that real relief was brought to the community.

From Project Gutenberg

In the community her father was the wealthiest man, having made his fortune in the growing of potatoes and fruit.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• association
• center
• company
• district
• nation
• neighborhood
• people
• public
• society
• state

More About Community

What is a community?

A community is a social group whose members have something in common, such as a shared government, geographic location, culture, or heritage.

Community can also refer to the physical location where such a group lives. It can refer to a town, city, village, or other area with a formal government whose residents share a nationality or culture, as in A group of town citizens decided to clean up the litter in their community. 

Community can also refer to the people who live in this area, as in Filipe was able to raise money for the city’s homeless shelter with help from the community. 

More generally, community can refer to a group that shares some trait or quality that separates it from the wider population as in Tracy was excited to find that the Muslim community in her city often held free talks on being a Muslim American. 

Example: Ria entered politics to help improve the lives of the people in her community. 

Where does community come from?

The first records of the word community comes from around 1325. It comes from the Latin commūnitās, meaning “joint possession or use.” A community has something in common, such as a geographic location or a shared culture.

In terms of a specific location, community is a more general term than words like burrough, village, or city. When you refer to the community you live in, you could mean something as small as your neighborhood or as large as a metropolitan area.

The sense of community that refers to a group of people with shared traits or qualities is frequently used when people talk about demographics. You have probably heard of polls or studies of “the Hispanic community” or “the Christian community,” for example. You’ll find this usage in academics, politics, business, and similar fields.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to community?

• communital (adjective)
• procomunity (adjective)

What are some synonyms for community?

• society
• association
• nation
• public
• district

What are some words that share a root or word element with community? 

• common
• commune
• community center
• communitarian
• communitas

What are some words that often get used in discussing community?

• people
• surrounding
• impact
• shared
• college
• center

How is community used in real life?

The word community is common and is often used to refer to groups of people or the places where they live.

Michelle and I send our condolences to the people of New Zealand. We grieve with you and the Muslim community. All of us must stand against hatred in all its forms.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 15, 2019

I'm seeing an outbreak of strep throat in my community. This winter is going to be ugly. Too many infections to go around.

— Linda Girgis MD (@DrLindaMD) October 22, 2020

Help give back to the community. 👏

Through the end of the month, we've teamed up with @bloodworksnw to bring a pop-up blood donation center to CenturyLink Field.

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) July 20, 2020

Try using community!

Is community used correctly in the following sentence?

The charity group raised money to help local communities impacted by hurricanes.