the Commonwealth

noun

1

: a U.S. state

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

the Commonwealth of Kentucky

2

: the countries that were once part of the British Empire

Examples of the Commonwealth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The marijuana legalization rollback initiative will appear as Question 8 on Massachusetts ballots for the general election held on November 3, the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office announced after the commission announced its decision. — A.j. Herrington, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

David Blumenthal is professor of practice of public health and health policy at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and former president of the Commonwealth Fund. — David Blumenthal, STAT, 20 July 2026

First, the Commonwealth needs a formal process for concerned parties to appeal or challenge ballot summaries early in the process, before language written by the Attorney General becomes the basis for litigation months later. — Robert Cordy, Boston Herald, 19 July 2026

One persistent myth falsely claims the Commonwealth of Kentucky trademarked the state's name and forced the company to pay licensing fees. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 18 July 2026

Rhymes for the Commonwealth

• bridewealth
• health
• stealth
• wealth
• telehealth