Definition

1. Noun:
   • A state of agreement or alignment regarding shared goals or objectives: "community of interests" refers to a situation where different individuals or groups discover they have common aims or benefits, often leading to cooperation or mutual understanding despite other differences.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The preachers and the bootleggers found they had a community of interests. (This illustrates how two seemingly opposed groups realized they shared a common goal, such as influencing public policy or maintaining a certain social order.)
  • A community of interests between the two companies led to a successful merger. (This shows how shared business objectives can unite separate entities.)
  • The treaty was signed because the nations recognized a strong community of interests in regional stability. (This demonstrates shared strategic or political goals among countries.)

Advanced Usage

• "to establish/find a community of interests": to create or discover a basis for shared goals.
  • The negotiations aimed to establish a community of interests between labor and management.
• "a broad/narrow community of interests": describing the scope or extent of the shared goals.
  • The coalition was fragile, based on a very narrow community of interests.

Variants and Related Words

• Common interest (n): A specific goal or benefit that is shared. (This is a simpler, more common phrase with a similar meaning.)
• Shared interest (n): An interest held by multiple parties.
• Convergence of interests (n): A process where different interests become aligned. (This emphasizes the coming together of interests.)

Synonyms

• Common cause: A shared principle or aim that people cooperate to support.
• Mutual interest: An interest that is held in common by two or more parties.
• Alignment of goals: A state where objectives are in agreement.

Related Phrases

• Pooling of interests: (Often in business) Combining resources or efforts based on shared aims.
• Coalition of the willing: A group formed based on a shared purpose, often political or military. (This implies a community of interests driving the coalition.)

Related Idioms

• "To be in the same boat": To be in the same, often difficult, situation, implying a shared interest in finding a solution. (This idiom reflects a practical community of interests.)
• "To have a stake in something": To have a shared interest or investment in the outcome of a situation.

Noun

1. agreement as to goals
   • the preachers and the bootleggers found they had a community of interests