common form
common form — idiom
1. the set of physical features or characteristics that are most usual or typical w
the set of physical features or characteristics that are most usual or typical within a particular kind of living thing or group of similar things
Adina learned that the common form of a maple leaf has five pointed lobes.
collocation: common form of + [species]
Most sparrows in this region share the same common form, but some have lighter wings.
The biology textbook showed the common form of a daisy with a yellow centre and white petals.
Tuan noticed that the common form of the local oak tree has dark green leaves with rounded edges.
用法筆記
This sense is primarily used in biology and taxonomy, where it describes the typical morphology of a species. Distinguish from sense 2 (legal probate) and sense 3 (common-law pleading), which are restricted to legal contexts.
2. a simplified legal procedure for proving that a will is valid, used when no one
a simplified legal procedure for proving that a will is valid, used when no one challenges the will and the person who is named as executor confirms its authenticity under oath without needing witnesses or a court hearing
The executor proved the will in common form by swearing an affidavit before the registrar.
proved in common form — fixed legal phrase
The solicitor advised Hana that a common form grant of probate would be sufficient.
Tariq applied for a common form grant after confirming no relatives objected to the will.
Unlike solemn form, common form probate does not require a court hearing with witnesses.
用法筆記
In English probate law, 'common form' is the standard, uncontested route. By contrast, 'solemn form' requires a formal court hearing with witnesses. This sense appears almost exclusively in UK and Commonwealth legal contexts.
3. one of the traditional, fixed formats for writing a legal complaint or defence i
one of the traditional, fixed formats for writing a legal complaint or defence in English common-law courts, used for standard types of lawsuits such as debt, trespass, or breach of contract, where the wording of the claims followed a set pattern
Stefan studied the writ of assumpsit as a common form used to sue for broken promises.
one of the common forms used to [legal purpose]
A lawyer had to pick a common form that matched the type of injury the client suffered.
The writ of debt was the common form for claiming money a borrower had failed to repay.
João read about trover, a common form used when someone refused to return another person's goods.
用法筆記
This sense is historical and refers to the system of 'forms of action' in English common law before the 19th-century reforms. Examples include assumpsit (breach of promise), debt, detinue (wrongful holding of goods), replevin (recovery of goods), trespass on the case, and trover. The phrase 'common form' in this context means a standardised pleading template.