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
COMMONWEALTH, a term generally synonymous with commonweal, i.e. public welfare, but more particularly signifying a form of government in which the general public have a direct voice.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 7 "Columbus" to "Condottiere" by Various
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