commoner

noun

com·​mon·​er ˈkä-mə-nər How to pronounce commoner (audio)
1
a
: one of the common people
b
: one who is not of noble rank
2
: a student (as at Oxford) who pays for his own board

Examples of commoner in a Sentence

a prince who married a commoner
Recent Examples on the Web Byron would have rejoiced in such an irony: the blue blood revered by commoners. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 Glen Cavaliero, a fellow commoner at St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge, and president of the Powys Society, was intrigued by a reference to Paul in Powys’s letters, tracked her books down, and included her in his study of English supernatural fiction for Oxford University Press. Joanna Biggs, Harper's Magazine, 10 Jan. 2024 Royal weddings have been fascinating commoners for generations. Vogue, 30 Oct. 2023 But for us mere commoners, there are still plenty of modest and affordable options out there. Jermaine Gallacher, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2023 Coveting its vitality and upset by their exclusion, modern-day lords and ladies catch wind of a phrase—perhaps by commanding a commoner to explain it to them—and start using it in the castle, ruining it for everyone. Caleb Madison, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2023 To protect the social order, sumptuary laws were passed that discouraged commoners from dressing above their class. Nick Haramis, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2023 Property owners—a group that has included Tom Hanks, Goldie Hawn, Shania Twain, and Mark Wahlberg—live life like commoners while there, reportedly fetching bags of blueberry muffins and lemonade at local delis before suiting up to paddleboard on the lake or embark on a hike in the woods. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 11 Aug. 2023 They were married for one year from 1998 to 1999. Letizia, who was born into a middle-class family, is the first Spanish queen to have been a commoner. Lia Beck, Peoplemag, 5 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commoner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of commoner was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near commoner

Cite this Entry

“Commoner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commoner. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

commoner

noun
com·​mon·​er ˈkäm-ə-nər How to pronounce commoner (audio)
: one of the common people : a person who is not of noble rank

Biographical Definition

Commoner

biographical name

Com·​mo·​ner ˈkä-mə-nər How to pronounce Commoner (audio)
Barry 1917–2012 American biologist and educator

More from Merriam-Webster on commoner

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