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.
Compromise and consensus — the animating creeds of our commonweal — have ebbed away.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2025
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
At best existing governments are to be regarded as local trustees and caretakers for the coming human commonweal.
From The Salvaging Of Civilisation by H. G.
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.
