Meaning 1
People connected by place, identity, interest, or a sense of mutual belonging.
Reach for it when naming the people and relationships rather than only a geographic area
The climbing community raised funds for safer public trails.
Meaning 2
A group of living things sharing the same environment.
Reach for it when describing an ecological group without implying human social bonds
A diverse plant community returned after grazing pressure eased.
| Meaning 1 | Meaning 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| everyday | ||
| warm |
| |
| professional |
| |
| formal | ||
| literary |
everyday
Fits when people connected by a local area are specifically meant
Careful A community can span countries or shared interests with no common neighborhood.
warm
circle
Fits when a small supportive social group is intended
Careful Circle suggests intimacy and is too small for a city or profession.
professional
group
Fits when a neutral broad label is sufficient
Careful A group may be temporary and lack identity, care, or belonging.
professional
Fits when relationships and channels of exchange are central
Careful A network can be purely transactional without communal identity.
formal
public
Fits when people affected as citizens or users are meant
Careful The public is an audience or population, not necessarily a connected community.
literary
Fits when companionship and shared purpose give the bond warmth
Careful Fellowship can sound religious or formal and may exclude wider membership.
professional
ecosystem
Fits when organisms and their physical environment are considered together
Careful An ecosystem includes soil, water, and climate beyond the biological community.
formal
assemblage
Fits when a scientific grouping of organisms is meant neutrally
Careful Assemblage lacks the ecological interaction implied by community.
local community
The local community chose a flood plan through open workshops.
sense of community
Shared tools created a sense of community among new residents.
plant community
The plant community supports dozens of native pollinators.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, California accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
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