# tragedy of the commons

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A situation in which unmanaged use of a shared resource (such as the atmosphere or an ocean) by a number of participants results in the unintended ruin or total consumption of that resource.

## Etymology
Coined by American ecologist Garrett Hardin in 1968.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tragedy-of-the-commons