common noun

== English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkɒm.ən naʊn/ === Noun === common noun (plural common nouns) A noun that denotes any member, or all members, of a class; an ordinary noun such as dog or city; contrasted with a proper noun, which refers to a single named entity, such as Socrates or Tokyo. ==== Usage notes ==== In English, many common nouns are countable, meaning that they have singular and plural forms and can be preceded by an indefinite article or numbers, as in a dog, two dogs, etc. Others are uncountable: they do not have separate singular and plural forms and can stand without any determiner; for example, hydrogen is the lightest element. Some common nouns have both countable and uncountable uses. Most common nouns are uncapitalized, but some are by convention capitalized (e.g. Frenchman), and the distinction between capitalized vs uncapitalized nouns should not be confused with the distinction between proper and common nouns. ==== Synonyms ==== appellative, appellative noun, nomen appellativum, common substantive noun ==== Coordinate terms ==== proper noun ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ====