commune

1 of 2

verb

com·​mune kə-ˈmyün 

communed; communing

transitive verb

obsolete : talk over, discuss

have more to commune

—William Shakespeare

intransitive verb

1

: to receive Communion

The people who had communed returned to their pews using the side aisles.

2

: to communicate intimately

commune with nature

… he stands communing with his soul on a bridge …

—Richard Alleva

commune

2 of 2

noun

com·​mune ˈkäm-ˌyün 

kə-ˈmyün,

kä-

1

: the smallest administrative district of many countries especially in Europe

2

: commonalty sense 1a

3

: community: such as

a

: a medieval usually municipal corporation

b(1)

: mir

(2)

: an often rural community organized on a communal basis

Synonyms

Verb

• bond
• click
• relate

Examples of commune in a Sentence

Verb

a psychic who communes with the dead

after a week in the wilderness, the scouts were really starting to commune with nature

Noun

He's living in a religious commune.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

As tensions swell, various cast members sing a medley of slave work songs, blues tunes, and Negro spirituals, creating a tug of war between the past and present as the characters seek to commune with ancestral spirits. —Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 29 Nov. 2024

It was believed this was a time when the veil was lifted between our world and the underworld to commune with the dead. —Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 28 Nov. 2024

Noun

Charles Gaston Dumont was born on March 26, 1929, in Cahors, a commune in southwestern France, before his father, a boilermaker, and his mother, a coffee roaster, moved the family to Toulouse, about 70 miles to the south. —Alex Williams, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024

Also in attendance are poet Verandah Porche, a longtime member of one of the ’60s communes chronicled in the film, and folk musician Patti Carpenter, who sings several songs on the soundtrack. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 16 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, to share, receive Communion, from Anglo-French communer, cummunier, from Late Latin communicare, from Latin — see communicate

Noun

French, alteration of Middle French comugne, from Medieval Latin communia, from Latin, neuter plural of communis

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

commune

1 of 2 verb

com·​mune kə-ˈmyün 

communed; communing

1

: to receive Communion

2

: to be in close communication with someone or something

commune with nature

commune

2 of 2 noun

com·​mune ˈkäm-ˌyün 

kə-ˈmyün

1

: the smallest administrative district of many countries especially in Europe

2

: a small group of people that live together and share property and duties