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commune

commune, municipality

noun koh-MEWN Rare
Travel & Places Geography

Origin: Latin communis 'shared, common'

Usage Note

Commune is the smallest administrative division in France — there are roughly 35,000 of them, ranging from tiny villages to cities like Paris. The mayor (maire) heads each commune. Do not confuse with the adjective commun ('common, shared'), which is related but different in form and function.

Examples

"La commune a voté un nouveau budget."

Natural Translation

The municipality voted on a new budget.

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