communal

C3O1M3M3U1N1A1L1
UK/kəˈmjuː.nəl/UK/ˈkɒm.jə.nəl/Canada, US/kəˈmju.nəl/Australia/kəˈmjʉː.nəl/

adjective

Pertaining to a community or a commune.

“communal violence”

Similar
common
Opposite
secular
OriginFrench communa ← Late Latin commūnāli ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? →
Less commonScrabble 14
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Word of the Day · Apr 19, 2025

Meanings

adjectivecommunal (comparative more communal, superlative most communal)

comparative more communal · superlative most communal

  1. Pertaining to a community or a commune.
  2. Shared by a community; public.
  3. IndiaDefined by religious ideas; based on religion.

    communal violence

    1 more example

    communal politics

    Antonyms: secular

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveDefined by religious ideas; based on religion.

Opposite
secular

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivefor or by a group rather than individuals

Similar
common
Also see
common

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mey-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱom-moy-ni-s
  3. Proto-Italic*kommoinis
  4. Old Latincomoinis
  5. Latincommūnis
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  8. Late Latincommūnāli
  9. Frenchcommuna
  10. Englishcommunal

Borrowed from French communal, from Late Latin commūnālis, from Latin commūnis. Doublet of cominal.

More words from French, Late Latin, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian обществен, комунален
  • обществен (obštestven)shared by a community; public
  • комунален (komunalen)pertaining to a community
  • колективен (kolektiven)pertaining to a community
Chinese Mandarin 公共的, 社區的 /社区的
  • 公共的 (gōnggòngde)shared by a community; public
  • 社區的 /社区的 (shèqū de)pertaining to a community
  • 社群的 (shèqūn de)pertaining to a community
  • 群體的 /群体的 (qúntǐ de)pertaining to a community
Finnish yhteinen, yhteisöllinen
  • yhteinenshared by a community; public
  • yhteisöllinenpertaining to a community
French commun, communautaire
  • communshared by a community; public
  • communautairepertaining to a community
German gemeinschaftlich, kommunal
  • gemeinschaftlichpertaining to a community
  • kommunalpertaining to a community
Hebrew קהילתי, קהילתית
  • קהילתי (qehilaty)pertaining to a community
  • קהילתית (qehilatyt)pertaining to a community
Irish páirteach, pobail
  • páirteachshared by a community; public
  • pobailshared by a community; public
  • comhchoiteannshared by a community; public
  • pobaldapertaining to a community
  • pobailpertaining to a community
Italian comunitario
  • comunitariopertaining to a community
Latin commūnālis
  • commūnālispertaining to a community
Portuguese comum, público
  • comumshared by a community; public
  • públicoshared by a community; public
  • comunitáriopertaining to a community
Romanian public, comunitar
  • publicshared by a community; public
  • comunitarpertaining to a community
Russian о́бщий, обще́ственный
  • о́бщий (óbščij)shared by a community; public
  • обще́ственный (obščéstvennyj)shared by a community; public
  • коллекти́вный (kollektívnyj)shared by a community; public
  • коммуна́льный (kommunálʹnyj)shared by a community; public
  • общи́нный (obščínnyj)pertaining to a community
  • коммуна́льный (kommunálʹnyj)pertaining to a community
Slovak komunitný, verejný
  • komunitnýshared by a community; public
  • verejnýshared by a community; public
  • komunitnýpertaining to a community
Spanish comunitario
  • comunitariopertaining to a community
Swedish allmän, gemensam
  • allmänshared by a community; public
  • gemensamshared by a community; public
  • samhälleligpertaining to a community
Cite this entry
APA

communal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/communal

MLA

“communal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/communal. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “communal,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/communal.

Source: communal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.