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Meaning & use

communal areas

noun·EverydayBritish

Last updated

UK/ˈkɒmjʊnəl ˈeəriəz/
US/kəˈmjunəl ˈɛriəz/

Meaning

  1. nounplural

    Parts of a building or housing development, such as hallways, stairs, laundry rooms and gardens, that all residents may use together.

    Grammar: Usually plural: the communal areas are cleaned weekly. The singular communal area is used for one specific space.

    Patterns

    • the communal areas of something
    • clean the communal areas

    Please keep bikes out of the communal areas, because they block the fire exit.

    The landlord pays for lighting in the communal areas.

    Children are not allowed to play in the communal areas after nine at night.

Common combinations

shared communal areas
The flat has shared communal areas on every floor.
maintain the communal areas
Residents pay a fee to maintain the communal areas.
communal areas of the building
Smoking is banned in the communal areas of the building.
clean the communal areas
A cleaner comes on Fridays to clean the communal areas.
leave items in communal areas
Do not leave items in communal areas, as they are a safety risk.

Synonyms and how they differ

common areas
This is the usual American phrase and means almost the same, though British leases tend to prefer communal.
shared spaces
It is more casual and can include a shared kitchen in a house, which communal areas rarely would.
public areas
It suggests anyone may enter, while communal areas belong only to the residents.

Opposites

private areas

Word family

communal adjective
shared by a group
commune noun
a group living and sharing resources
community noun
a group of people living together or sharing interests
communally adverb
in a shared way

Commonly confused: communal areas or communal?

communal areas vs communal

Communal means shared by a group. It is not the same as commercial, which relates to business.

Practice

The landlord is responsible for lighting the hallways and stairs, which are the building's ____.

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