communal

adjective

com·​mu·​nal kə-ˈmyü-nᵊl How to pronounce communal (audio)
ˈkäm-yə-nᵊl
1
: of or relating to one or more communes
a communal organization
2
: of or relating to a community
3
a
: characterized by collective ownership and use of property
b
: participated in, shared, or used in common by members of a group or community
a communal kitchen
gathered for a communal meal
4
: of, relating to, or based on racial or cultural groups
communal violence
communalize transitive verb
communally adverb

Examples of communal in a Sentence

The tribe lived in communal huts. the communal experience of riding on the train
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keith Siegel, 65 Keith Siegel, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was abducted with his wife, Aviva Siegel, from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, a communal farming village heavily damaged by the attack. Julia Frankel, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025 The researchers also found that social relationships and positions within a communal hierarchy did not affect the rate and frequency at which socially contagious urination occurred. Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025 The lawsuit The 40-page lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, argues that the new immigration order violates fundamentals of the Quaker religious experience, including communal worship. Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2025 Beyond all the legal and even medical specifics resides a sense of communal understanding, and — at the risk of sounding mawkish — a deep and abiding love for one’s fellow human beings, which Feder taps into with aplomb. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 28 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for communal 

Word History

Etymology

French, from Late Latin communalis, from Latin communis

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of communal was in 1796

Dictionary Entries Near communal

Cite this Entry

“Communal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communal. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

communal

adjective
com·​mu·​nal kə-ˈmyün-ᵊl How to pronounce communal (audio)
ˈkäm-yən-ᵊl
1
: of or relating to a commune or community
2
: shared or used in common by members of a group or community

More from Merriam-Webster on communal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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