commonweal
Americannoun
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the common welfare; the public good.
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Archaic. the body politic; a commonwealth.
noun
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the good of the community
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another name for commonwealth
Etymology
Origin of commonweal
First recorded in 1350–1400, commonweal is from Middle English comen wele. See common, weal 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
How, he asks, can the majority be trusted when narrow self-interest is allowed to run roughshod over the commonweal?
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2024
A speech designed to discuss the commonweal will be delivered to a nation that is having increasing difficulty finding much of anything in common.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2022
Politicians and assorted intellectuals lazily depict public expressions of faith as providing exponential benefits for the commonweal.
From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2022
America, of course, already has a celebrity dad: Tom Hanks, whose very blood is apparently being used to contribute to the commonweal.
From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2020
The principal things that they sell are oils, sovereign waters, amorous songs printed, apothecary drugs, and a commonweal of other trifles.
From The Doctor in History, Literature, Folk-Lore, Etc. by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
