Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Sound judgment not based on specialized knowledge.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Characterized by common or good sense: as, he took a common-sense view of the question. See common sense, under common, a.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • See Common sense, under sense.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete An internal sense, formerly believed to be the sense by which information from the other five senses is understood and interpreted.
  • noun Ordinary sensible understanding; one's basic intelligence which allows for plain understanding and without which good decisions or judgments cannot be made.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun sound practical judgment
  • adjective exhibiting native good judgment

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Translation of Latin sēnsus commūnis, common feelings of humanity.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

After Latin sensus communis, Ancient Greek κοινὴ αἴσθησις.

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Examples

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Comments

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  • Sometimes not that common :-(

    September 1, 2008

  • "Common sense isn't." -- Carol Schaffer

    September 25, 2008