Meaning of common sense in English

common sense

noun [ U ]

/ˌkɑː.mən ˈsens/ uk

/ˌkɒm.ən ˈsens/

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the basic level of practical knowledge and judgment that we all need to help us live in a reasonable and safe way:

Windsurfing is perfectly safe as long as you have/use some common sense.

a matter of common sense

Synonym

horse sense old-fashioned

See also

sense noun

More examplesFewer examples

Anyone with any common sense would have known what to do.
Common sense and creativity are the essential qualities we need in an employee.
I am sure that common sense will prevail in the end.
There is no doubt that the court's decision is a victory for common sense.
You get out first, and then lift the boxes out. Honestly - use your common sense!

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

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Related word

commonsensical

(Definition of common sense from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

common sense | Intermediate English

common sense

noun [ U ]

/ˈkɑm·ən ˈsens/

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the ability to use good judgment in making decisions and to live in a reasonable and safe way

(Definition of common sense from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of common sense

common sense

To me, all of the above is just common sense.

From Huffington Post

Bringing evidence-based policymaking to government is only common sense.

From The Hill

But it seems common sense to take a break.

From Plain Dealer

Such a common sense approach has not been tried by any government.

From Huffington Post

It is armed with the principles of common sense, principles without hate.

From TIME

If you have any common sense left, move away from the major cities before it's too late.

From New York Post

No pride, lack of common sense, no morals or ethics is what is wrong with some employees.

From TIME

Common sense tells us that social and emotional skills -- such as perseverance, self-control or agreeableness -- help individuals have more fulfilling lives.

From Huffington Post

Modern medicine yes you bet, but common sense the best thing yet.

From CNN

It was more common sense than state-coerced atheism.

From TIME

The idea that healthy behaviors can amplify each other might seem like common sense.

From CNN

Why is it that common sense is thrown out the window when we put forward these arguments boldly?

From Huffington Post

This obsession with improving everything and reduce waste may blur the lines of common sense.

From Fast Company

And the decision to post the comment displays the common sense of an 8-year-old.

From CNN

Apparently, the buildup of heat from global warming is producing more ice, not less, in defiance of both the laws of physics and common sense.

From Washington Times

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of common sense?

Translations of common sense

in Chinese (Traditional)

常識…

Meaning of common sense in English

Related word

common sense | Intermediate English

Examples of common sense

Translations of common sense

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