commonwealth
noun
com·mon·wealth
ˈkä-mən-ˌwelth 
also -ˌweltth
1
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
Greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from burning fossil fuels, have raised average temperatures in the commonwealth by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1950, according to the National Centers for Climate Information.
—
Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, 30 June 2024
The Julian Assange saga ended this week in a federal court in Saipan, an American commonwealth in the Northern Mariana Islands.
—The Editors, National Review, 26 June 2024
By Anna Gordon June 25, 2024 9:12 AM EDT
A plane carrying Julian Assange has landed in Bangkok for refueling enroute to Saipan, a U.S. commonwealth in the Pacific, where the WikiLeaks founder will appear in a federal court on Wednesday following a plea deal with American prosecutors.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 25 June 2024
His court hearing was held in Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth.
—Naina Rao, NPR, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for commonwealth 
Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, 30 June 2024
The Julian Assange saga ended this week in a federal court in Saipan, an American commonwealth in the Northern Mariana Islands.
—The Editors, National Review, 26 June 2024
By Anna Gordon June 25, 2024 9:12 AM EDT
A plane carrying Julian Assange has landed in Bangkok for refueling enroute to Saipan, a U.S. commonwealth in the Pacific, where the WikiLeaks founder will appear in a federal court on Wednesday following a plea deal with American prosecutors.
—Anna Gordon, TIME, 25 June 2024
His court hearing was held in Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. commonwealth.
—Naina Rao, NPR, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for commonwealth
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.
Dictionary Entries Near commonwealth
Cite this Entry
“Commonwealth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commonwealth. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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