Nouns That Start With C

Updated June 4, 2021
nouns that start with c
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    nouns that start with C
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Can you name a person right now? A place? How about a thing? Nouns dominate the English language because they function in so many different capacities. They sit in various sections of nearly every sentence. Given their abundance, sometimes it’s nice to get acquainted with them, letter by letter.

We’ve already explored A and B nouns. Now, let’s progress into a sea of C nouns.

50 Nouns Starting With C

The cardinal rule when studying English grammar is to keep an open mind. Many words are shapeshifters and can function as different parts of speech. Let’s put on our noun hats and explore 50 words functioning in their noun capacities.

Noun

Definition

Synonym

cancer

a disease with growths that damage the body

carcinoma, tumor, growth

capital

wealth used to create more wealth

assets, resources, principal

car

an automobile that carries people or goods

automobile, coach, vehicle

card

a flat, stiff, thick piece of paper used to express a greeting or play a game

placard, ticket, sheet

cardinal

a red songbird with a noticeable crest and stout bill

bird, songbird

care

close attention or concern for another

concern, empathy, interest

career

what you do for a living

occupation, vocation, work

cash

currency and coins

capital, clink, money

cell

a small area in a prison where criminals are kept behind bars

cage, compartment, vault

center

the point equally distant from all sides

middle, heart, hub

challenge

an act of rebellion against someone or something

dispute, objection, protest

chance

happening by unexplainable reasons, luck, a risk, or the likelihood of something happening

fate, gamble, risk

character

a trait, quality, or high moral code

integrity, reputation, personality

child

a very young person

kid, adolescent, juvenile

choice

the act of making a selection

judgment, option, decision

Christmas

a holiday celebrated as a religious tradition commemorating the birth of Jesus

christmastide, holiday, yule

chronicle

a record of things that have happened in the order which they happened

account, archives, record

church

the building where religious worship takes place

chapel, sanctuary, synagogue

city

a town of significant size

metropolis, town, municipality

class

\a group of students taught together

group, section, grade

client

a customer or person who uses a service

buyer, consumer, customer

club

a group of people who come together for a common interest

association, consortium, fraternity

clutter

disarray, a disorganized mess

jumble, chaos, hodgepodge

code

a set of rules

canon, instructions, law

coffee

a drink made from ground and roasted beans

java, joe, espresso

collection

a group of things or people gathered together

accumulation, gathering, assortment

college

a place of higher learning after high school

institute, university, conservatory

color

a component of light which is separated when it is reflected off an object

hue, chroma, iridescence

community

the people living in an area

neighborhood, district, locale

company

a guest or a group of people associated with each other

assembly, association, troupe

computer

an electronic device used for processing information

PC, workstation, machine

conquest

a victory in love or war

mastery, triumph, conquering

consent

permission given for something

acquiescence, concession, assent

contempt

a feeling of scorn toward another person

disdain, hatred, malice

content

what is inside or included in something

filling, load, measure

control

power to direct

command, authority direction

core

the inside of something

base, center, hub

cost

the amount paid for something

payment, charge, value

counterpart

something that functions as someone or something else

copy, duplicate, equal

country

a nation

realm, land, sovereign state

county

an administrative division of a state or country

borough, district, division

couple

two items of a similar kind

duo, twosome, pair

courage

the bravery and/or strength to do something that could be dangerous

bravery, valor, boldness

course

a class you take in school to study a particular subject

lecture, class, seminar

court

a building or room where legal cases are heard and decided by a judge

tribunal, judiciary, chancery

credit

the quality of being credible or trustworthy

credence, reliance, confidence

cruelty

unkind or mean acts

brutality, inhumanity, barbarity

crunch

a critical moment when time or resources are running out

crisis, difficulty, emergency

cultivation

the act of nurturing and causing growth

tilling, plowing, growing

customer

a buyer of goods, services

client, patron, buyer

What Is a Noun?

We see, touch, and think about nouns all day long. A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea. How many times today have you thought about a cup of coffee or the cell phone sitting on your desk? When we use nouns in our writing, we often place articles before them, such as “a,” “an,” or “the.”

One of the most important roles nouns have is to act as the subject of the sentence. So, in the sentence, “The church is magnificent,” “church” is a noun. Nouns are also frequently direct objects. In the sentence, “Francis fed the cat,” “cat” (with the addition of the article “the”) is the direct object, or the object of the verb “fed.”

Letter C block
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Types of Nouns

There are several types of nouns. Here are a few of the most common:

  • Proper nouns name specific people, cities, states, countries, buildings, books, and more. Proper nouns must be capitalized. So, “Cleveland” is a proper noun, but “city” is a common noun.
  • Common nouns refer to general things, such as “cola,” instead of “Coca-Cola.”
  • Abstract nouns refer to things we can’t taste, touch, or see. They’re theoretical, such as “comfort” or “capitalism.”
  • Collective nouns refer to large groups, such as a “class” of students or a “company” of soldiers.
  • Possessive nouns illustrate ownership over something else. For example, with “Carrie’s dominoes,” “Carrie’s” is a possessive noun, indicating the dominoes belong to her.

To continue to explore these categories, check out Types of Nouns.

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10 Example Sentences

You may have recognized some of the above words as verbs, or other parts of speech. But, let’s take a look at them acting specifically as nouns:

  1. He invested a lot of capital in her new company.
  2. We watched the red cardinal fly.
  3. She forced him into a dangerous challenge.
  4. Her short story was a detailed chronicle of Sir Arthur’s life.
  5. Shakira is her newest client.
  6. There’s no better way to start each day than with a cup of coffee.
  7. Nothing in the world is worse than clutter.
  8. His mother gave him consent to take the class.
  9. We moved into a new community of wonderful people.
  10. Gardening takes a lot of tender cultivation.

Clans of Nouns

Not only are there many different types of nouns, but they also encompass nearly every letter of the alphabet. With these cases of nouns in your back pocket, make sure you’re walking with us through the entire alphabet. Let’s start back at Nouns That Start With A. There are quite a few nouns that begin with C, but words that start with this letter aren’t all nouns.

Discover many additional nouns using the word list tool on WordFinder by YourDictionary. Just go to words that start with the letter C for a long list of words from a variety of different parts of speech. Then, create your own custom word list via the on-screen filter. It’ll let you pull up words that include, start or conclude with certain letters or combinations of letters or limit word length. What a great way to curate your own collection of c-words to consider!