shared

1. 1
   verb

   Simple past and past participle of share.

   The neighbors shared a driveway for over a decade.

   The report was shared with the board before the meeting.

   UsageThings are shared with someone (shared with the board), and often shared between or among several people.

2. 2
   adjective

   Used by or open to more than one person or group, rather than reserved for just one.

   The apartment came with a shared kitchen and a private bedroom.

   Staff can book the shared meeting room through the office calendar.

   Similarcommunal, common

   Oppositeprivate, individual, separate

   Note

   Used of rooms, equipment and services, it marks something that more than one person or group uses: a shared kitchen, a shared drive, a shared office. The point is use rather than ownership. Values, aims and memories held in common belong to the jointly held meaning.

3. 3
   adjective

   Belonging jointly to two or more people or groups as something they all hold, feel, or have lived through, such as values, aims, or a past.

   The coalition was built on shared values rather than on any single policy.

   Their shared history as river towns still shapes how the two communities work together.

   UsageMost often before a noun: shared values, shared memories, and a shared love of or interest in something.

   Similarcommon, mutual, joint, collective

   Oppositeindividual, separate

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