commune

Etymology 1

From Middle English commune, comune, from Old French comune, commune, from Medieval Latin commūnia, from Latin commūne (“community, state”), from commūnis (“common”). See also community, communion, common.

noun

1. A small community, often rural, whose members share in the ownership of property, and in the division of labour; the members of such a community.
   The town of Chu-chou in Hunan Province, carrying out the great directive of Chairman Mao that "educated youths must go to the villages," has put into practice factory-commune links, and under the leadership of cadres, has made a collective settlement of educated youths in commune and brigade farms, forest areas, and tea plantations. 1975, Peter J. Seybolt, editor, The Rustication of Urban Youth in China, published 2015, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 148
2. A local political division in many European countries.
3. (obsolete) The commonalty; the common people.
4. (uncountable, obsolete) Communion; sympathetic conversation between friends.
5. (historical) A self-governing city or league of citizens.
   In 1117 the commune and archbishop had separate consuls at Milan. 1997, David Nicholas, The Growth of the Medieval City: From Late Antiquity to the Early Fourteenth Century, page 161

Etymology 2

From Middle English communen, comunen, from Old French comunier, communier (“to share”), from Latin commūnico. Doublet of communicate.

verb

1. To converse together with sympathy and confidence; to interchange sentiments or feelings; to take counsel.
2. (intransitive, followed by with) To communicate (with) spiritually; to be together (with); to contemplate or absorb.
   He spent a week in the backcountry, communing with nature.
3. (Christianity, intransitive) To receive the communion.