common sense
Preserved but no longer current.
Natural intelligence ; good, sound, practical sense; general sagacity. Formerly the expression denoted a supposed internal sense held to be common to all five senses, or one that acted as a bond or con- necting medium for them.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “common sense” mean?
Natural intelligence ; good, sound, practical sense; general sagacity. Formerly the expression denoted a supposed internal sense held to be common to all five senses, or one that acted as a bond or con- necting medium for them.
Is “common sense” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.