commonwealth

noun

com·​mon·​wealth ˈkä-mən-ˌwelth 

 also  -ˌweltth

1

: a nation, state, or other political unit: such as

a

: one founded on law and united by compact or tacit agreement of the people for the common good

b

: one in which supreme authority is vested in the people

c

: republic

2

: a state of the U.S.

—used officially of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia

3

often capitalized : a political unit having local autonomy but voluntarily united with the U.S.

—used officially of Puerto Rico and of the Northern Mariana Islands

4

often capitalized : an association of self-governing autonomous states more or less loosely associated in a common allegiance (as to the British crown)

5

capitalized

a

: the English state from the death of Charles I in 1649 to the Restoration in 1660

b

: protectorate sense 1b

6

capitalized : a federal union of constituent states

—used officially of Australia

7

archaic : commonweal sense 2

Synonyms

• country
• land
• nation
• sovereignty
• sovranty
• state

Examples of commonwealth in a Sentence

laws that will benefit all the citizens of the commonwealth

Recent Examples on the Web

More than 2,000 applications were received by Kentucky's Office of Medical Cannabis for the commonwealth's medical marijuana dispensary lottery before the portal closed Saturday, cementing a deep field ahead of the drawing to take place in October. —Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 4 Sep. 2024

The money supports 61 911 call centers across the commonwealth. —Anthony Hennen | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Aug. 2024

Youngkin was able to keep the former president out of the commonwealth during his off-year 2021 campaign for governor. —Javier Zarracina, USA TODAY, 26 June 2024

The commonwealth’s PlanCon program, for instance, which had reimbursed districts for building costs, was defunded in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. —David I. Backer, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7

Kids Definition

commonwealth

noun

com·​mon·​wealth -ˌwelth 

1

: a political unit (as a nation or state)

2

: a state of the U.S.

—used officially of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia

Legal Definition

commonwealth

noun

com·​mon·​wealth ˈkä-mən-ˌwelth 

1

: a nation, state, or other political unit: as

a

: one founded on law and united by compact or tacit agreement by the people for the common good

b

: one in which supreme authority is vested in the people

c

: republic

2

: a state of the U.S.

—used officially of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia

3

often capitalized : an association of self-governing autonomous states more or less loosely associated in a common allegiance (as to the British crown)

4

often capitalized : a political unit having local autonomy but voluntarily united with the U.S.

—used officially of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands