commonwealth

noun

com·​mon·​wealth ˈkä-mən-ˌwelth 

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

: republic

2

: a state of the U.S.

—used officially of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia

3

often Commonwealth : 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 Commonwealth : an association of self-governing autonomous states more or less loosely associated in a common allegiance (as to the British crown)

5

Commonwealth

a

: the English state from the death of Charles I in 1649 to the Restoration in 1660

b

: protectorate sense 1b

6

Commonwealth : a federal union of constituent states

—used officially of Australia

7

archaic : commonweal sense 2

Synonyms of commonwealth

• state
• nation
• country

Examples of commonwealth in a Sentence

laws that will benefit all the citizens of the commonwealth

Recent Examples on the Web

Kay Scarpetta is, like many protagonists of these sorts of stories, a remarkable and mythical investigator, returning to her old job as chief medical examiner of the commonwealth of Virginia in order to spend more time with her grieving niece, Lucy (DeBose), who has lost her wife. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026

Schools across the commonwealth are kicking off their spring breaks in the coming weeks, meaning locals will be hopping in their cars to visit family and travel. —Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Mar. 2026

In particular, Hobbes popularized the idea of generating a commonwealth in order to escape the uncertainty in a state of nature where self-preservation is fundamental. —Kenneth Andrew Andres Leonardo, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2026

Former President Barack Obama is calling on voters in Virginia to support a ballot measure this spring that would change the commonwealth's constitution and cause new congressional district boundaries benefiting Democrats to be used in this fall's midterm elections. —Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7

Rhymes for commonwealth

• telehealth
• bridewealth
• health
• stealth
• wealth

Kids Definition

commonwealth

noun

com·​mon·​wealth -ˌwelth 

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 

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

: republic

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