commune
nounverbattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈkɒmjuːn//
- United States//ˈkɑmjuːn//
- //kəˈmjuːn//
A small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community.
noun
- 1
A small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community.
The town of Chu-chou in Hunan Province, carrying out the great directive of Chairman Mao that "educated youths must go to the villages," has put into practice factory-commune links, and under the leadership of cadres, has made a collective settlement of educated youths in commune and brigade farms, forest areas, and tea plantations.
- 2
A local political division in many European countries as well as their former colonies (such as Chile and Vietnam).
- 3
obsoleteThe commonalty; the common people.
- 4
obsoleteCommunion; sympathetic conversation between friends.
For days of happy commune dead.
- 5
historicalA self-governing city or league of citizens.
In 1117 the commune and archbishop had separate consuls at Milan.
Etymology
From Middle English commune, comune, from Old French comune, commune, from Medieval Latin commūnia, from Latin commūne (“community, state”), from commūnis (“common”). Doublet of comune. See also community, communion, common.
verb
- 1
To converse together with sympathy and confidence; to interchange sentiments or feelings; to take counsel.
I would commune with you of such things / That want no ear but yours.
- 2
To communicate (with) spiritually; to be together (with); to contemplate or absorb.
He spent a week in the backcountry, communing with nature.
- 3
To receive the communion.
Namely, in these things, in prohibiting that none should commune alone, in making the People whole Communers, or in suffering them to Commune under both kinds […]
Etymology
From Middle English communen, comunen, from Old French comuner (formed from comun (“common”)) and comunier (“to share”) (from Latin commūnico). Doublet of communicate.
Forms
- plural
- communes
- past tense
- communed
- past participle
- communed
- present participle
- communing
- third person singular
- communes
commune · A small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community.
communicate · To impart. To impart or transmit (information or knowledge)…communicating · Allowing people to pass directly between two rooms.communication · The act or fact of communicating anything; transmission.