Uncommon

How to spell uncommon

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce uncommon

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does uncommon mean?

1. adjectiveRare, unusual, or not often seen or encountered.

Uncommon in a sentence

• It is not uncommon for flights to be delayed during heavy storms.

• Her command of three languages is an uncommon skill among the staff.

Where does uncommon come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word uncommon is built from the native English prefix un-, meaning 'not', attached to common, which English borrowed in the 1200s from Old French comun, itself descended from the Latin communis, meaning 'shared by all' or 'belonging to many'. That Latin root combined com- ('together') with an element related to munus ('duty, service'), so something common was originally something held or owed in common by a whole group. From the general idea of 'shared' the sense slid easily toward 'ordinary' or 'frequently met with', simply because the things everyone shares tend to be unremarkable. Adding un- in the late 1500s flipped that meaning to 'not ordinary, rare, or remarkable'. The double m in the middle, which trips some writers, comes straight from the com- of communis, so remembering common keeps the spelling secure.

How the word is built

• un- (not)
• common (shared, ordinary, from Latin communis)
• (no suffix)