adjectiveadverb

gemeinsam

together · common · shared

Wenn mehrere Personen etwas zusammen machen oder teilen.

Definition & meaning

Gemeinsam means together, jointly, or in common. It can describe people doing something together or something shared by several people.

They worked together. — Sie arbeiteten gemeinsam.
They have a common goal. — Sie haben ein gemeinsames Ziel.
In the expression etwas gemeinsam haben , it means “to have something in common.”

Grammar & Word origin

Gemeinsam is an adjective. Used adverbially, it does not change form: Wir lernen gemeinsam (“We study together”). Before a noun, it takes the usual adjective ending: ein gemeinsames Projekt (“a joint project”).

It is formed from gemein , meaning “shared” or “common” in this sense, and the suffix -sam , which forms adjectives.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

zusammen — “together”; often emphasizes being or doing things in one place or as a group. Gemeinsam can more strongly suggest cooperation or something shared.
miteinander — “with one another”; emphasizes interaction between people.
gemeinschaftlich — “collective” or “communal”; often sounds more formal and emphasizes participation by a group.

Antonyms, depending on context:

getrennt — “separately” or “apart”; contrasts with doing something together.
einzeln — “individually” or “one at a time”; contrasts with acting as a group.
allein — “alone”; contrasts with being or doing something together.