COMMON SENSE

ˌcommon ˈsense BrE AmE noun [uncountable]

the ability to behave in a sensible way and make practical decisions:

Use your common sense for once!

a common-sense approach to education

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COLLOCATIONS

■ verbs

▪ have common sense

Some people are brilliant thinkers, but they have no common sense.

▪ use your common sense

If something goes wrong, just use your common sense.

▪ be based on common sense

The job doesn't require much training because it's based on common sense.

▪ show common sense

His attitude shows no common sense at all.

▪ common sense tells you/me etc something

Common sense tells me that I should get more sleep.

▪ common sense suggests something

People don't always do what common sense suggests.

▪ common sense dictates something (=tells you something very clearly)

Common sense dictates that you should avoid handling wild animals.

▪ common sense prevails (=is strong enough to make you do the sensible thing)

Eventually common sense prevailed and they reached an agreement.

▪ defy common sense (=not be sensible)

The proposed change in the law defies common sense.

■ adjectives

▪ simple/plain/basic/sheer common sense (=very obviously sensible)

Locking your doors at night is simple common sense.

▪ sound common sense (=sensible and reliable)

These ideas contained much sound common sense.

■ common sense + NOUN

▪ a common sense approach

We need a common sense approach to caring for the environment.

▪ a common sense view

Ross took the common sense view that it would be better to stay at home.

■ phrases

▪ a matter of common sense (=something that requires no more than common sense)

Not driving too fast is just a matter of common sense.

▪ a lack of common sense

Leaving the child alone in the car showed a lack of common sense.

▪ an ounce of common sense (=a very small amount)

Anyone with an ounce of common sense would have realised that was a silly thing to do.