Commons

See also: commons

English

Etymology

Ellipsis of House of Commons.

Proper noun

Commons

  1. (UK politics, Canadian politics) The House of Commons, part of the parliament under the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy.
  2. A surname.

Usage notes

Although plural in form, the term takes singular verb forms: “The Commons has risen for the day.” Used by itself, the word is accompanied by the definite article: “The vote in the Commons was an abject humiliation for the Prime Minister.” But when used attributively, the definite article is omitted: “He has drawn the ire of his compatriots on both sides of the aisle during his tenure as Commons Speaker.”

See also
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