Common Noun

A common noun is a name given to all things and persons. 

Common Noun Examples

Long, long ago, in the country of Persia, there lived a man. He was a priest. His name was Nasruddin and he was very clever. One day Nasruddin went to his neighbor's house. His neighbor was a woman named Fatima. Nasiruddin entered her garden. He asked, "May I borrow a ladder?" "Of course," said Fatima.

In the above passage the words man, priest, house, and woman are common nouns because a common noun is a name given to all things and persons. Here man, priest, house, and woman are the names common to things or persons.

Note: Common nouns are sometimes used as proper nouns.