Communities

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Community \Com*mu"ni*ty\, n.; pl. {Communities}. [L. communitas:
     cf. OF. communit['e]. Cf. {Commonalty}, and see {Common}.]
     1. Common possession or enjoyment; participation; as, a
        community of goods.
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              The original community of all things. --Locke.
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              An unreserved community of thought and feeling. --W.
                                                    Irving.
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     2. A body of people having common rights, privileges, or
        interests, or living in the same place under the same laws
        and regulations; as, a community of monks. Hence a number
        of animals living in a common home or with some apparent
        association of interests.
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              Creatures that in communities exist.  --Wordsworth.
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     3. Society at large; a commonwealth or state; a body politic;
        the public, or people in general.
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              Burdens upon the poorer classes of the community.
                                                    --Hallam.
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     Note: In this sense, the term should be used with the
           definite article; as, the interests of the community.
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     4. Common character; likeness. [R.]
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              The essential community of nature between organic
              growth and inorganic growth.          --H. Spencer.
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     5. Commonness; frequency. [Obs.]
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              Eyes . . . sick and blunted with community. --Shak.
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