English Dictionary — Definitions & Meanings

comforting

adj

Bringing relief from worry, sadness, or pain; soothing.

comfortless

adj

Describes a person who has no comfort and has not been comforted.

comfrey

noun

Any of several perennial herbs of the genus Symphytum, especially common comfrey.

comfy

adj

Comfortable; cozy and relaxing (informal).

comic

adj

Funny or intended to amuse; relating to comedy.

comical

adj

Funny in a light, whimsical, or ridiculous way.

comics

noun

Comic books, comic strips, and similar picture-story media as a whole.

coming

adj

Approaching; happening soon, especially referring to the near future.

comitative

adj

(grammar) Relating to the case in some languages that shows one person is together with another.

comma

noun

The punctuation mark ( , ) used to separate parts of a sentence or items in a list.

command

noun

An order given with authority.

commandant

noun

An officer in charge of a particular military unit, base, or academy.

commandeer

verb

To seize property or people for military or official use, usually by force.

commander

noun

A person who leads and directs a military force or unit.

commandery

noun

An area of land ruled by a commander.

commanding

adj

Having an air of authority; impressive and dominant.

commandment

noun

A rule regarded as issued with divine or absolute authority, especially one of the biblical Ten Commandments.

commando

noun

A soldier trained for fast, aggressive raids, often as part of a small specialized unit.

commemorate

verb

To honor the memory of a person or event, typically with a ceremony, object, or tradition.

commemoration

noun

A ceremony, event, or object that honors the memory of a person or event.

commemorative

adj

Made or done in order to honor the memory of a person or event.

commence

verb

To begin or start (formal).

commencement

noun

The beginning or start of something (formal).

commend

verb

To praise someone formally for doing something well.

commendable

adj

Deserving of praise; admirable.

commendation

noun

Formal praise, or an official award recognizing achievement.

commendatory

adj

Praising or speaking well of someone.

commensal

adj

(biology) Describes two living things sharing a space where one benefits and the other is not harmed.

commensurate

adjective

Matching something else in size, degree or importance; in proportion to it.

comment

noun

A spoken or written remark, often giving an opinion.

commentary

noun

A set of explanatory notes or opinions on a text, event, or situation.

commentator

noun

A person who provides live spoken analysis of an event, especially in broadcasting.

commenting

noun

The act of making a comment or comments.

commerce

noun

The large-scale buying and selling of goods and services, especially between businesses or regions.

commercial

noun

A paid advertisement broadcast on television or radio.

commercialise

verb

A non-Oxford British English standard spelling of commercialize.

commercialism

noun

The general attitude and activity of business and trade.

commercialize

verb

To turn something, such as an idea or prototype, into a product that can be sold.

commercially

adv

In a way related to trade or making a profit.

commie

noun

A communist, or someone suspected of communist sympathies (informal, often used disparagingly).

commingle

verb

To mix or blend things together.

comminute

verb

To break something into small pieces.

commiserate

adj

Feeling or showing sympathy and sadness for someone else's troubles.

commiseration

noun

A feeling of sympathy or sorrow for someone who is suffering or going through hardship.

commissar

noun

A Communist Party official, especially one assigned to a military unit to oversee political loyalty and ideology.

commissary

noun

A store that sells food and supplies to people in an institution, such as soldiers or prisoners.

commission

noun

A fee paid to someone, usually a percentage, for completing a sale or transaction.

commissioned

adj

Holding an official rank or authority granted through a formal appointment.

commissioner

noun

A member of a commission, or an official put in charge of a government department or agency.

commissioning

noun

The process of checking that a new piece of equipment, building or system is built, fitted and tested to meet the owner's requirements.

commit

verb

To carry out a crime, mistake, or wrongdoing.

commitment

noun

A promise or pledge to do something, or a strong dedication to a cause, relationship, or goal.

committal

noun

The act of handing something over into someone else's care.

committed

adj

Dedicated to a cause, goal, or course of action.

committee

noun

A group of one or more people brought together to carry out a particular task, usually following set procedures.

committing

noun

The act of doing or carrying out something, especially a crime or wrongdoing.

commix

verb

To mix different things together.

commixtion

noun

The act of mixing or blending things together.

commo

noun

(informal) A short way of saying communication.

commode

noun

A chair-like piece of furniture with a hinged seat concealing a chamber pot, used as a toilet substitute.

commodious

adj

Pleasantly large and comfortable to live or move around in.

commodity

noun

A raw material or basic good that is bought and sold in bulk, such as oil, wheat, or gold.

Commodore

noun

A naval officer ranking above a captain and below a rear admiral, often commanding a group of ships.

Commodus

name

A masculine given name, most notably that of a Roman emperor who reigned in the 2nd century AD.

common

adjective

Happening often, or found in large numbers; not rare.

common noun

noun

A noun that names a general class of person, place, thing or idea rather than a particular one, and which is not capitalised unless it begins a sentence.

common sense

noun

Sound practical judgement about everyday matters, of the kind most people are expected to have without special training.

commonality

noun

A trait, feature, or interest that two or more things or people share.

commonalty

noun

Ordinary people collectively; the general public.

commoner

noun

A person who does not hold a noble title or rank.

commonly

adverb

Usually; in most cases.

commonness

noun

How ordinary, usual or unremarkable something is.

commonplace

adjective

Ordinary; lacking anything unusual or noteworthy.

commons

noun

A shared public space, such as a dining hall at a university or a central green in a town.

commonship

noun

The state of holding or sharing something jointly with others.

commonwealth

noun

A self-governing political community, especially one organized for the general good of its members.

commotion

noun

A sudden burst of noisy confusion or disturbance.

commove

verb

To stir something up violently; to excite or provoke.

communal

adjective

Shared by everyone in a group or community; not privately owned.

communazi

adj

Relating to a mix of communist and Nazi ideas.

commune

noun

A small community, often rural, whose members share property, work, and living costs.

communicable

adj

(of a disease) Able to pass from one person or animal to another.

communicate

verb

To share information or ideas with someone, whether by speaking, writing, or gesture.

communicating

adjective

Describing a door or opening that connects two rooms directly.

communication

noun

The act of sharing or exchanging information, ideas, or feelings.

communications

noun

The technology and systems used to transmit information, such as phone, internet, or broadcast networks.

communicative

adj

Keen to talk and share thoughts or information; chatty.

communicator

noun

A person who conveys information or ideas, especially well.

communion

noun

A deep, often spiritual, sense of connection or shared understanding between people.

communism

noun

A political and economic system in which property and the means of production are owned collectively rather than by individuals.

communist

noun

A person who supports or advocates communism.

community

noun

A group of people who live in the same area, or who share interests, background, or identity.

communiversity

noun

A body created through a partnership between a university and its local community.

commutation

noun

The act of swapping one thing for another.

commute

verb

To travel regularly between home and one's place of work or study.

commuter

noun

A person who regularly travels a distance between home and work.

commuting

noun

The act of regularly traveling between home and one's workplace.

Como

name

A city and lake in northern Italy, and also an Italian surname.

comorbidities

plural noun

Additional medical conditions that a patient has at the same time as a main illness being treated or studied.

comorbidity

noun

The presence of one or more additional medical or psychiatric conditions in a patient alongside a primary condition.

Comp

noun

Something given free of charge, especially as a courtesy, such as a free hotel room or meal.

compact

adjective

Taking up little space; neatly and efficiently arranged.

compactify

verb

To become smaller and more tightly packed.

compactness

noun

The quality of taking up little space.

compactor

noun

A machine that crushes or presses waste or material into a smaller volume.

compadre

noun

A close friend or companion, especially used informally.

companion

noun

A person who accompanies or spends time with another; a friend or partner.

companionable

adj

Pleasant to be with and easy to get on with.

companionship

noun

The feeling or state of having friendly company; fellowship.

company

noun

A business organization that sells goods or provides services.

comparability

noun

The quality of being able to be measured or judged against something else.

comparable

adjective

Similar enough to something else that a meaningful comparison can be made.

comparand

noun

Something else that a thing is measured or set against.

comparandum

noun

The thing being looked at in a comparison.

comparative

adjective

Measured or judged by comparison rather than in absolute terms.

comparatively

adverb

In relation to something else; relatively.

comparator

noun

A device used to measure one object's property against another, or against a fixed standard.

compare

verb

To examine two or more things together to note their similarities and differences.

compare and contrast

phrase

To examine two or more things side by side in order to set out both what they have in common and how they differ, usually as an academic exercise.

comparison

noun

An act of comparing two or more things, or the result of doing so.

compartment

noun

A separate section or space within a larger structure, especially a vehicle.

compascuity

noun

The right that several people share to let their animals feed on the same field.

compass

noun

A device with a magnetic needle (or an electronic equivalent) that points to show direction, especially north.

compassion

noun

A deep sense of concern for someone else's suffering, strong enough to make you want to help.

compassionate

adj

Showing genuine concern and kindness toward someone who is suffering.

compassionless

adj

Showing no pity or kindness; cold and hard towards others.

compatibility

noun

The ability of two or more things to exist, work, or get along together without problems.

compatible

adj

Able to exist, work, or function together without conflict.

compatriot

noun

A person who comes from the same country as you.

compeer

noun

Someone of the same rank as another person, or a good friend.

compel

verb

To force or pressure someone into doing something.

compelled

adj

Forced or strongly obligated to do something.

compelling

adj

So interesting or convincing that it grabs and holds your attention.

compend

noun

A short piece of writing that sets out the main points of a larger subject.

compendium

noun

A collection of detailed information on a subject, gathered into a single book or document, especially one arranged for easy reference.

compensate

verb

To pay someone money to make up for a loss, injury, or inconvenience.

compensated

adj

Having received payment or adjustment to make up for a loss or imbalance.

compensating

adj

Making up for a fault, loss, or imbalance elsewhere.

compensation

noun

Money or another benefit given to make up for a loss, injury, or inconvenience.

compere

noun

The person who introduces the acts and guests on a TV show or similar event.

compersion

noun

A feeling of happiness at seeing your partner enjoy a romantic or sexual relationship with someone else.

compete

verb

To try to win or do better than others in a contest, market, or rivalry.

competence

noun

The skill and ability needed to do something well.

competency

noun

The ability or skill needed to perform a particular task; near-identical to competence.

competent

adj

Having enough skill, knowledge, or ability to do something properly.

competing

adj

In a state of rivalry, or conflicting with something else.

competition

noun

A contest in which people or organizations try to win a prize or come out on top.

competitive

adj

Relating to or involving competition.

competitor

noun

A person or organization competing against another for the same goal.

competitory

adj

Behaving in a way that shows rivalry with others.