Common
Common adjective - Held by or applicable to a majority of the people.
Usage example: a politician who works not for the special interests but for the common good
Public is a synonym for common in collective topic. In some cases you can use "Public" instead the word "Common" as an adjective or a noun, when it comes to topics like group, society, communal, general. popular alternative
Public
Public adjective - Freely available for use or participation by all.
Usage example: a public swimming pool
Common is a synonym for public in general topic. You can use "Common" instead the word "Public" as an adjective or a noun, if it concerns topics such as property, group, community, communal. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
How words are described
Both words in one sentence
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Although group showers are the most common example, it can also apply to other places where people are usually naked, like a public bathhouse.
Source: Shower Shy - Also, Peter Wyngarde playing skirt-chaser Jason King (although Wyngarde's homosexuality was not known to the general public at the time, it was common knowledge within acting circles).
Source: Irony as She Is Cast - This is ridiculously common in slasher and monster flicks where the hero(es) have to warn the general public of the impending danger.
Source: You Have to Believe Me
Cite this Source
Public and Common. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/common/public
Common & Public. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/common/public>.
Public or Common. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/common/public.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "common" and "public" have occurred on timeline