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• commonwealth
  commonwealth

  noun

  a group of sovereign states and their dependencies associated by their own choice and linked with common objectives and interests.
• Commonwealth
  Commonwealth

  noun

  an association of sovereign states, almost all of which were at some time dependencies of the UK. All member states recognize the reigning British sovereign as Head of the Commonwealth

commonwealth

American  

[kom-uhn-welth] / ˈkɒm ənˌwɛlθ /

noun

1. (initial capital letter) a group of sovereign states and their dependencies associated by their own choice and linked with common objectives and interests.

   the British Commonwealth.

2. the Commonwealth. Commonwealth of Nations.

3. (initial capital letter) a federation of states.

   the Commonwealth of Australia.

4. (initial capital letter) a self-governing territory associated with the U.S.: official designation of Puerto Rico.

5. (initial capital letter) the English government from the abolition of the monarchy in 1649 until the establishment of the Protectorate in 1653, sometimes extended to include the restoration of Charles II in 1660.

6. (initial capital letter) the official designation (rather than “State”) of four states of the U.S.: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

7. any group of persons united by some common interest.

8. the whole body of people of a nation or state; the body politic.

9. a state in which the supreme power is held by the people; a republican or democratic state.

10. Obsolete. the public welfare.

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Commonwealth ¹ British  

/ ˈkɒmənˌwɛlθ /

noun

1. Official name: the Commonwealth of Nations.  an association of sovereign states, almost all of which were at some time dependencies of the UK. All member states recognize the reigning British sovereign as Head of the Commonwealth

2. 1. the republic that existed in Britain from 1649 to 1660

   2. the part of this period up to 1653, when Cromwell became Protector

3. the official designation of Australia, four states of the US (Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia), and Puerto Rico

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commonwealth ² British  

/ ˈkɒmənˌwɛlθ /

noun

1. the people of a state or nation viewed politically; body politic

2. a state or nation in which the people possess sovereignty; republic

3. the body politic organized for the general good

4. a group of persons united by some common interest

5. obsolete the general good; public welfare

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Commonwealth Cultural  

1. A government established in Britain and Ireland in 1649, after the execution of King Charles I. It was in the form of a republic, under the leadership of the parliament. Oliver Cromwell soon assumed the supreme power in the Commonwealth and was given the title Lord Protector. After Cromwell's death in 1658, the Commonwealth quickly lost power, and the Restoration of the monarchy followed in 1660.

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Etymology

Origin of commonwealth

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English commun welthe; equivalent to common ( def. ) + wealth ( def. )

Explanation

A commonwealth refers to any group of people organized under a single government, particularly a republic. If you live in the United States of America, you live in a commonwealth. Comprised of the roots common, meaning "belonging to all," and wealth, meaning "happiness or riches," the word commonwealth originally referred to the government of England from 1649 to 1660. Nowadays, a commonwealth has come to mean any government in which all people involved have a say, or a loose formation of nations with a shared loyalty. It is also the official designation of a few states including, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia and some U.S. territories.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

commonwealth Commonwealth

She appreciates, however, that her school district remains staunchly anti-censorship and gender-affirming in a commonwealth that ranks high for censorship.

From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2026

From there the King and Queen will visit Virginia, before heading to the commonwealth country of Bermuda.

From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026

A former CIA officer who flipped a swing House district in northern Virginia twice, Spanberger has now been governor of the commonwealth for roughly four months.

From Salon ● Apr. 15, 2026

The commonwealth has had four consecutive years of surpluses, collectively totaling $9.7 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 15, 2026

On November 15, 1935, the United States designated the Philippines as a commonwealth.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

European honours have followed and she heads into a second Commonwealth Games, 16 years on from her debut in India, as the top seed in the women's 86kg division.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

It was a disappointing end to her Commonwealth debut, but there was still plenty of pride.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Adam Ramsay-Peaty, however, appeared at a loss after his second bronze medal of the Commonwealth Games.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

As other parts of the UK prepared for the fourth heatwave of the summer, the Commonwealth Games athletics competition was given a drenching in Glasgow.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

The English Dancing Master, John Playford’s compendium of catchy regional folk songs and dances, was the most successful musical publication of Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• federation
• society