commonwealth

noun

com·​mon·​wealth ˈkä-mən-ˌwelth How to pronounce commonwealth (audio)
 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
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
6
capitalized : a federal union of constituent states
used officially of Australia
7
archaic : commonweal sense 2

Examples of commonwealth in a Sentence

laws that will benefit all the citizens of the commonwealth
Recent Examples on the Web Forty-eight delegates are at stake in the commonwealth. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024 Death sentences in the commonwealth are rare, with trials being lengthy, costly and complicated. The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024 There’s a place in the Kentucky Wildlands, though, where Harless swears the elk are more active than anywhere else in the commonwealth. Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 20 Feb. 2024 More than four months out from the primary, the only thing that’s clear in the contest to succeed Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) in a purple swath of the commonwealth is that things are getting awfully crowded. Teo Armus, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2024 Though polls have shown a majority of voters support the commonwealth following suit, political hangups remain due to safety concerns and conflicting with federal law. Anthony Hennen | The Center Square, Washington Examiner, 15 Jan. 2024 There are two other ways to get on the ballot in Massachusetts: collecting 2,500 signatures from registered and eligible voters or petitioning the secretary of the commonwealth himself by Dec 22. Isabella Murray, ABC News, 23 Dec. 2023 The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) said the commonwealth made the decision to euthanize the 40,000 catchable trout at the Marion Fish Hatchery to prevent the disease from spreading. Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 20 Oct. 2023 Interest in the sport, popular in U.K. commonwealth countries, is expanding at a fast clip with the Indian Premier League’s per-match value to broadcasters second only to the U.S. National Football League. Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commonwealth.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7

Time Traveler
The first known use of commonwealth was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near commonwealth

Cite this Entry

“Commonwealth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commonwealth. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

commonwealth

noun
com·​mon·​wealth -ˌwelth How to pronounce commonwealth (audio)
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 How to pronounce commonwealth (audio)
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
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

More from Merriam-Webster on commonwealth

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