communal
adjective
com·mu·nal
kə-ˈmyü-nᵊl 
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
communally
adverb
Synonyms
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
For most of human history, music and narrative have been experienced — chiefly — in communal contexts.
—
Jed Brewer, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025
After Sister Mary Thomas spoke, each sister admitted to personal failures, apologized for slights, and thanked others for kind gestures—demonstrating the humility required for communal living.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
The current government’s purposeful misrepresentation and defamation of DEI in such a comprehensively cruel and malicious manner deserves nothing less than personal and communal outrage and resistance.
—Dr. Tony Lux, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
Open concept floor plans join the dining room, kitchen and living (great) room into a communal space where sight lines are maximized and walls are minimal.
—Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for communal 
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Jed Brewer, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025
After Sister Mary Thomas spoke, each sister admitted to personal failures, apologized for slights, and thanked others for kind gestures—demonstrating the humility required for communal living.
—Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
The current government’s purposeful misrepresentation and defamation of DEI in such a comprehensively cruel and malicious manner deserves nothing less than personal and communal outrage and resistance.
—Dr. Tony Lux, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
Open concept floor plans join the dining room, kitchen and living (great) room into a communal space where sight lines are maximized and walls are minimal.
—Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for communal
Dictionary Entries Near communal
Cite this Entry
“Communal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communal. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
communal
adjective
com·mu·nal
kə-ˈmyün-ᵊl
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
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