have something in common vs have in common

Both "have something in common" and "have in common" are correct phrases, but they are used in slightly different contexts. "Have something in common" is more commonly used when specifying the particular thing or things that are shared, while "have in common" is a more general way to express a shared trait or characteristic.

Last updated: April 11, 2024 • 169 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"have something in common"

This phrase is used when you want to specify the particular thing or things that are shared between two or more entities.

Examples:

They have something in common - they both love to travel.
What do you think they have in common?
The two books have something in common - they are both written by the same author.

Show examples from the web [+]

3 days ago ... have something in common definition: to share the same interests or have similar characteristics: . Learn more.
Mar 17, 2017 ... At least we have something in common,” President Trump said about a diplomatic incident in which the U.S. snooped on Merkel's cell phone.
Jun 9, 2020 ... Coronavirus deaths and those of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery have something in common: Racism. Published: June 9, 2020 8.19am EDT.
Dec 8, 2021 ... Meat-eating bees have something in common with vultures · These insects evolved special gut bacteria to help them safely snack on rotting flesh.
These vampire birds have something in common with vampire bats, and it's not just a taste for blood. Similar bacteria help both animals subsist on a diet of ...
have something in common (with somebody) meaning, definition, what is have something in common (with somebody): to have the same interests, attitudes et.

Alternatives:

share a common interest
have a shared trait
have similarities

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"have in common"

This phrase is used in a more general sense to express a shared trait or characteristic between two or more entities without specifying the particular thing or things that are shared.

Examples:

They have in common a love for music.
What do they have in common?
The two countries have in common a history of conflict.

Show examples from the web [+]

First, the treatments have in common that they change problematic meanings (appraisals) of the trauma about the self and the world.
... to build more united, inclusive and resilient societies in which people believe that what they have in common is stronger than what divides them.
Psychotherapies for PTSD: what do they have in common? Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2015 Aug 14;6:28186. doi: 10.3402/ejpt.v6.28186. eCollection 2015.

Alternatives:

share common traits
share similarities
have shared interests

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have something in common vs have in common