common good

American

noun

the advantage or benefit of all people in society or in a group.

In spite of our differences, we shall work for the common good.

common good British

noun

the part of the property of a Scottish burgh, in the form of land or funds, that is at the disposal of the community

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of common good

First recorded in 1350–1400

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

At my installation Mass, one of the strongest moments of applause came when I spoke about working with all people of goodwill for the common good.

From The Wall Street Journal

"When they start dredging the river and causing pollution, the river will cease to be a common good for all humanity and will become the property of a single individual," demonstrator Thiago Guarani told AFP.

From Barron's

"We must resolve that AI is used for the global common good."

From Barron's

"That is where people come together, it is where you will find our common good and that is where we will discover once again the courage in each other."

From BBC

Leo, the Catholic Church's first American pontiff, said it was "more urgent than ever to replace the logic of fear and mistrust with a shared ethic capable of guiding choices towards the common good".

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023