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Webster 1913 Edition

Community

Com-mu′ni-ty

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Communities
(#)
.
[L.
communitas
: cf. OF.
communité
. Cf.
Commonalty
, and see
Common
.]
1.
Common possession or enjoyment; participation;
as, a
community
of goods
.
The original
community
of all things.
Locke.
An unreserved
community
of thought and feeling.
W. Irving.
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.
Creatures that in
communities
exist.
Wordsworth.
3.
Society at large; a commonwealth or state; a body politic; the public, or people in general.
Burdens upon the poorer classes of the
community
.
Hallam.
☞ In this sense, the term should be used with the definite article; as, the interests of the community.
4.
Common character; likeness.
[R.]
The essential
community
of nature between organic growth and inorganic growth.
H. Spencer.
5.
Commonness; frequency.
[Obs.]
Eyes . . . sick and blunted with
community
.
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition

Community

COMMUNITY

, n.
1.
Properly, common possession or enjoyment; as a community of goods.
It is a confirmation of the original community of all things.
2.
A society of people, having common rights and privileges, or common interests, civil, political or ecclesiastical; or living under the same laws and regulations. This word may signify a commonwealth or state, a body politic, or a particular society or order of men within a state, as a community of monks; and it is often used for the public or people in general, without very definite limits.
3.
Commonness; frequency.

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