• Dictionary
  • Word comparison: common noun vs. proper noun

common noun vs. proper noun

common noun vs. proper noun: 's the difference?

A common noun is one that refers to a nonspecific person, place, or thing: cat, table, woman, country, and happiness are all common nouns. A proper noun names a specific (or specific type) of person, place, or thing: Joe, Serena Williams, Jupiter, New Zealander, Coca-Cola, and Industrial Revolution are all proper nouns. Proper nouns are usually capitalized.

common noun

noun

Grammar.
  1. a noun that may be preceded by an article or other limiting modifier and that denotes any or all of a class of entities and not an individual, as man, city, horse, music.

proper noun

noun

  1. Grammar. a noun that is used to denote a particular person, place, or thing, as Lincoln, Sarah, Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Hall. Compare common noun.