commoner

[kom-uh-ner]

noun

1. a common person, as distinguished from one with rank, status, etc.

2. British.

   1. any person ranking below a peer; a person without a title of nobility.

   2. a member of the House of Commons.

   3. (at Oxford and some other universities) a student who pays the cost to dine at the commons and other expenses and is not supported by any scholarship or foundation.

3. a person who has a joint right in common land.

commoner

/ ˈkɒmənə /

noun

1. a person who does not belong to the nobility

2. a person who has a right in or over common land jointly with another or others

3. a student at a university or other institution who is not on a scholarship

Word History and Origins

Origin of commoner¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; common + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

She may have been rich, but Katharine was still a commoner.

From BBC

The New Forest's National Park's free-roaming ponies, pigs, donkeys and cattle are owned by commoners - people who own or occupy land with ancient rights attached.

From BBC

As such, few commoners saw Monday’s highly publicized private jaunt to the boundary between Earth and space as some giant leap for all womankind.

From Salon

He is only concerned about increasing his own wealth, power, and influence, all at the expense of the commoner or anyone else that he can exploit.

From Salon

The master-servant relationship from the samurai period has transitioned into the relationship between founding families and their employees, and "historically commoners never fought over the top job".

From BBC