What does community mean?
A community is a group of people who share something meaningful — a place, an interest, an identity, or a set of values — and who are bound together by that common ground. The word most often describes people living in the same area, as in a neighborhood or town, but it extends readily to groups defined by profession, faith, ethnicity, or even online participation, as in 'the scientific community' or 'an online gaming community'. Beyond naming a group, community also denotes the quality of fellowship itself: the sense of belonging, mutual support, and solidarity that arises when people genuinely share their lives. This dual meaning makes the word unusually versatile and emotionally resonant. It carries warm, positive connotations and is frequently invoked in public life — by politicians, charities, and organizers — to signal inclusion and collective purpose. Rooted in the Latin communis, meaning 'shared by all', it reminds us that much of human life is built on what we hold in common rather than what divides us.
A group of people living in the same place or having particular characteristics, interests, or values in common; also, the condition of sharing such things with others.
"The university is deeply involved with the surrounding community."
Often used attributively before another noun, as in 'community center', 'community spirit', or 'community leader'.
In ecology, a group of interacting populations of different species coexisting in a particular habitat.
"Coral reefs support one of the most diverse biological communities on Earth."
The standard plural is regular: communities. It is commonly used when referring to multiple distinct social, cultural, or ecological groups.
"The festival brings together communities from across the region."
The word 'community' comes from Latin 'communis' — meaning 'shared by all' — the same root that gave us 'communicate', 'common', and even 'communism'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of community
Community derives from the Old French comunete, from Late Latin communitas, formed on communis ('common, shared by all'). The underlying root is the Latin com- ('together') combined with munis ('bound, under obligation'), reflecting the idea of people held together by shared duties. English adopted the word in the late Middle English period, around the 14th–15th century, and its senses broadened over time from a body of people with common rights or interests to include modern notions of locality, identity, and fellowship. Cognates and relatives include 'communicate', 'common', 'commune', and 'communion', all tracing back to the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How community is actually used
'Community' carries strongly positive connotations of belonging, warmth, and mutual support; it is often invoked rhetorically to signal inclusiveness or collective effort. In sociology it is used both descriptively and normatively, which can make its boundaries contested — a 'community' need not be geographic. The word is neutral-to-warm in register and appears frequently in both everyday speech and institutional language (e.g. 'the international community', 'the scientific community').
Easily confused with community
'Communal' is an adjective describing something shared by members of a group (e.g. a communal kitchen), while 'community' is a noun referring to the group of people itself.