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communal

kuh-MYOO-nuhl /kəˈmjuː.nəl/

adjectiveB2SATACTTOEFLIELTS

neutralacademic

Shared by all members of a community; for common use.

Implies collective ownership, responsibility, or usage, often requiring cooperation and shared rules among the participants.

The story behind the word. Communal stems from the Latin 'communis', which combines 'com-' (together) and 'munis' (under obligation, performing services). Literally, it describes people who share duties or gifts together. It entered French as 'communal' before being adopted into English in the early 19th century to describe shared social structures.

Word relationships

shared: Shared is a general term, whereas communal specifically suggests a structured community or group context.
collective: Collective emphasizes the action or decision of a group as a single unit, while communal emphasizes the shared use of space or resources.

private: Private means belonging to or for the use of one particular person or group only.
individual: Individual relates to a single person rather than a group.

Commonly confused with

municipal: Municipal refers to things run by a city or local government, whereas communal refers to things shared by a specific community of individuals.

Word family

commune (noun): A group of people living together and sharing possessions and responsibilities.
communalism (noun): A principle of communal ownership or shared social organization.

Collocations

communal area
communal living
communal responsibility

Example sentences

"The apartment building features a communal kitchen where residents gather to cook and share meals every Sunday." Description of co-housing spaces
"They lived a communal life, sharing their food and their tools with absolute equality." Sociological study of early societies

Memory hook

Think of a 'community' sharing a 'communal' kitchen. Communal means common to all.

When not to use

Do not use when referring to something that is simply popular or public (like a public park); communal specifically implies a smaller, defined group sharing a resource.

Fun facts

In biology, 'communal nesting' is observed in several bird species, where multiple females lay eggs in a single nest and share incubation duties.