communal
adjective
com·mu·nal
kə-ˈmyü-nᵊl 
ˈkäm-yə-nᵊl
1
: of or relating to one or more communes
a communal organization
2
: of or relating to a community
3
a
: characterized by collective ownership and use of property
b
: participated in, shared, or used in common by members of a group or community
a communal kitchen
gathered for a communal meal
4
: of, relating to, or based on racial or cultural groups
communal violence
communally
adverb
Examples of communal in a Sentence
The tribe lived in communal huts.
the communal experience of riding on the train
Recent Examples on the Web
Conflicts also arise from communal and ethnic rivalries, as well as tensions between farmers and herders over scarce land and water resources.
—
Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
In 1940, when Marty was 10, Sarah left Morris and moved with the kids to a tenement across the street from Seward Park, a public space that happened to have a communal ping-pong table.
—Julien Levy, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2025
There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups and ethnic clashes.
—Fortune, 26 Dec. 2025
In one study, for instance, subjects played a cooperation game involving the division of a communal pot of money.
—Caleb Pomeroy, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for communal
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Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
In 1940, when Marty was 10, Sarah left Morris and moved with the kids to a tenement across the street from Seward Park, a public space that happened to have a communal ping-pong table.
—Julien Levy, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2025
There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups and ethnic clashes.
—Fortune, 26 Dec. 2025
In one study, for instance, subjects played a cooperation game involving the division of a communal pot of money.
—Caleb Pomeroy, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for communal
Cite this Entry
“Communal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communal. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
communal
adjective
com·mu·nal
kə-ˈmyün-ᵊl
ˈkäm-yən-ᵊl
1
: of or relating to a commune or community
2
: shared or used in common by members of a group or community
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