Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • The European Economic Community (EEC): A major international organization of European countries, originally established after World War II to promote economic integration by reducing trade barriers and increasing cooperation among its member states. It was a precursor to the modern European Union (EU).
   • The European Union (EU): Informally, "Common Market" is often used to refer to the single market of the European Union, which allows for the free movement of goods, capital, services, and people.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The United Kingdom joined the Common Market in 1973.
  • Policies of the Common Market aimed to strengthen the European economy.
  • The term "Common Market" is sometimes used interchangeably with the European Union.

Advanced Usage

• "the Common Market": Used with the definite article "the" to refer specifically to the historical EEC or the EU's single market area.
  • Negotiations focused on Britain's relationship with the Common Market.

Variants and Related Words

• European Economic Community (EEC): The official historical name.
• European Community (EC): A later name for the EEC.
• European Union (EU): The current political and economic union that succeeded the EC.
• Single Market: A term emphasizing the integrated economic area with free movement.

Synonyms

• European Community
• European Union (in informal, contemporary usage)
• The EEC

Notes on Meaning

• Historical vs. Contemporary: Primarily a historical term for the EEC (1957-1993). In modern contexts, it often refers loosely to the EU's single market, though "European Union" is the precise current term.
• Specificity: As a proper noun, it typically refers to the European entity and is capitalized. The general concept of a common market (lowercase) is an economic agreement between countries to remove internal trade barriers.

Noun

1. an international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members
   • he tried to take Britain into the Europen Union