com-mūnis (comoinis, S. C. de Bacch.), e, adj. [con and root mu-, to bind; Sanscr. mav-; cf.: immunis, munus, moenia], that is common to several or to all, common, general, universal, public (opp. proprius, that belongs to one: quod commune cum alio est, desinet esse proprium, Quint. 7, 3, 24; cf. id. 2, 4, 40; 7, 1, 28; 8, 5, 6; 10, 1, 16; 12, 10, 42; 12, 3, 7; v. also the foll.; freq. in all periods and every species of composition); constr. with cum, dat., inter se, or absol.
I Prop.: vetus verbum hoc quidem est: Communia esse amicorum inter se omnia, Ter. Ad. 804: vinea vulpibus et hominibus, Varr. R. R. 1, 8, 5: sepulcrum Asiae Europaeque Troja, Cat. 68, 89: is fit ei cum Roscio communis, Cic. Rosc. Com. 10, 27; cf.: alterum nobis cum dis, alterum cum beluis commune est, Sall. C. 1, 2; Nep. Timo l. 1, 4.—Esp. freq. in the formula aliquid cum aliquo commune habere: vetustas habet aliquid commune cum multis, amor non habet, Cic. Fam. 11, 27, 2: cum rerum naturā... quid habere potest commune... gallinaceum fel, id. Div. 2, 12, 29: controversia. quae communes minime cum aliis quaestiones habet, Quint. 5, 10, 110: illum... nihil vobiscum commune habentem, Sen. Const. 15, 2: sciat, se nihil mecum habere commune, id. Ben. 7, 12, 2: omnia cum amico communia habebit, qui multa cum homine, id. Ep. 48, 3; 74, 17; id. Q. N. 2, 37, 2: nec habet (pecudum natura) quidquam commune cum caelo, Lact. de Ira Dei, 7, 4; 8, 3; Ap. Deo Socr. 13; Varr. R. R. 3, 2, 9; Sen. Contr. 1, 1, 25, B: vitium commune omnium est, Ter. Ad. 953; cf. Cic. Sen. 11, 35; Lucr. 5, 260; 3, 326; 5, 555: communis imperii (i. e. Romani) fines, Cic. Balb. 5, 13; cf. libertas, id. Sest. 1, 1: salus, id. ib. 6, 15: utilitas, Nep. Alcib. 4, 6: mors, natural , Eutr. 7, 8: verba, i. e. prose , Claud. Epig. 81, 3: jus gentium, Nep. Them. 7, 4 et saep.: vitae ignarus, ignorant of life , i. e. of the customs of society , Cic. Phil. 2, 4, 7; cf.: sensu caret, of a sense of propriety , Hor. S. 1, 3, 66 Heind.; cf.: sit in beneficio sensus communis, Sen. Ben. 1, 12, 3; id. Ep. 5, 4; 105, 3; Quint. 1, 2, 20; cf. also: communium litterarum et politioris humanitatis expers, Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 72: communis locus, euphem., the lower world , Plaut. Cas. prol. 19; and for a brothel , Sen. Contr. 1, 2, p. 83 Bip.—In plur.: loca, public places , Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 46, § 112; id. Fam. 13, 11, 1; but loci, in philos. lang., a commonplace , common topic , id. de Or. 3, 27, 106; id. Or. 36, 126; Quint. 2, 1, 9; 2, 1, 11; 5, 1, 3; 5, 12, 15; v. locus.—
B Subst.: commūne , is, n., that which is common.
1 In gen., plur.: ut communibus pro communibus utatur, privatis ut suis, Cic. Off. 1, 7, 20: paucis ostendi gemis et communia laudas, publicity , Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 4; Ov. M. 13, 271.—In sing.: de communi aliquid consequi, Dig. 17, 2, 52; so Paul. Sent. 1, 18, § 3: jus communi dividundo, Cic. Fam. 7, 12, 2; cf. Gai Inst. 4, 42; Dig. 2, 1, 11, § 2 al.—
2 Esp. = τὸ κοινόν, a community , state : commune Latium, Cinc. ap. Fest. p. 241, 18 Müll.: Commune Milyadum, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 38, § 95: Siciliae, id. ib. 2, 2, 46, § 114; 2, 2, 59, § 145; 2, 2, 63, § 154: gentis Pelasgae, Ov. M. 12, 7; cf.: communis Graecia, id. ib. 13, 199; and: res communis = respublica, Sisenn. ap. Non. p. 522, 17.—
b In commune.
α For common use , for all , for a common object , end , advantage , etc.: metuere, Plaut. As. 2, 2, 20: consulere, Ter. And. 548; Tac. A. 12, 5: conferre, Cic. Quint. 3, 12; id. Inv. 2, 3, 8: vocare honores, i. e. to bestow equally upon patricians and plebeians , Liv. 6, 40, 18: profutura, Quint. 6, 1, 7: laborare (apes), id. 5, 11, 24.—Rarely in communi: ponere libertatem, Tac. A. 13, 27.—
β In general , generally (in post-Aug. prose): de jure omni disputandum, Quint. 7, 1, 49; Plin. 17, 1, 1, § 9; Tac. G. 27; 38; 40 al.—
γ Halves! Sen. Ep. 119, 1; Phaedr. 5, 7, 3.—
II Trop.
A That represents the common sentiment , democratic : qui in bello... suo et certorum hominum consilio uteretur, eum magis communem censemus in victoriā futurum fuisse, etc., Cic. Fam. 4, 9, 2.—
B Of manners, accessible , familiar , courteous , condescending , affable (kindr. in sense with comis; hence in MSS. very freq. interchanged with it; v. comis): simplicem et communem et consentientem eligi (amicum) par est, Cic. Lael. 18, 65; so id. Fam. 4, 9, 2: communis infimis, par principibus, Nep. Att. 3, 1; so Eutr. 8, 5; cf. communitas.— Comp. , Suet. Claud. 21 dub. (al. comior).— Sup. , Suet. Vesp. 22 dub. (al. comissimus).—
C T. t.
1 In rhet.: commune exordium, quod nihilo minus in hanc quam in contrariam partem causae potest convenire, equally appropriate to either side of a cause , Cic. Inv. 1, 18, 26; cf. Quint. 4, 1, 71; Auct. Her. 1, 7, 11; Cic. de Or. 2, 78, 319.—
2 In gram.: verbum, a common verb , i. e. one that has both an active and passive signification , Gell. 15, 13, 1; Prisc. p. 787 P.: syllaba = anceps, i. e. either long or short , Don. p. 1389 P.; Charis. p. 3 ib.; Diom. p. 423 ib.: genus, of both masculine and feminine gender , Charis. p. 126 ib. et saep.— Hence, Advv.
1 Class. form commū-nĭter , together , in common , jointly , generally (very freq.), Varr. R. R. 2, 10; Cic. Off. 3, 20, 80; id. Rosc. Am. 37, 108; id. N. D. 2, 48, 123; Nep. Pelop. 2, 2; Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 13; Ov. M. 6, 262.—Opp. proprie, Quint. 9, 1, 23; opp. separatim, Cic. Fam. 13, 12, 1; cf. id. Arch. 12, 32.—* Comp. , Diom. p. 480 P.—
2 commūnĭtus : deos colere, Varr. ap. Non. p. 510, 5.