the official name of some states in the United States (Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and Virginia and Kentucky) and associated territories (Puerto Rico)
Used in a Sentence
commonwealth
How to use commonwealth in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for commonwealth.
Editorial note
The commonwealth and Nordic countries, by comparison, are much further along.
Examples7
Definitions4
Parts of speech1
Quick take
the official name of some states in the United States (Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and Virginia and Kentucky) and associated territories (Puerto Rico)
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of commonwealth gathered in one view.
a politically organized body of people under a single government; "the state has elected a new president"; "African nations"; "students who had come to the nation's capitol"; "the country's largest manufacturer"; "an industrialized land"
a world organization of autonomous states that are united in allegiance to a central power but are not subordinate to it or to one another
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for commonwealth.
noun
the official name of some states in the United States (Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and Virginia and Kentucky) and associated territories (Puerto Rico)
noun
a politically organized body of people under a single government; "the state has elected a new president"; "African nations"; "students who had come to the nation's capitol"; "the country's largest manufacturer"; "an industrialized land"
noun
a world organization of autonomous states that are united in allegiance to a central power but are not subordinate to it or to one another
noun
a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
Example sentences
The commonwealth and Nordic countries, by comparison, are much further along.
Legally speaking, the commonwealth is the owner of the operating company.
The founder's shares were also put into the general pocket of the commonwealth, so it is the administration of the commonwealth that owns the thing.
It's derived from the Latin "res publica", for "public property", which is exactly synonymous with the English word "commonwealth".
I'm sure other commonwealth states must have diversity in voting systems also, despite being otherwise 'UK-derived'.
The equity doesn't lie anymore with Ernest Bader, it lies with that commonwealth, and everybody who works for a certain length of time becomes a member of the commonwealth.
Ernest Bader said, No, I don't want to have ownership of this company, and so all the capital, except 10 percent, was vested in the commonwealth, which was set up for this purpose as a limited company.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use commonwealth in a sentence?
The commonwealth and Nordic countries, by comparison, are much further along.
What does commonwealth mean?
the official name of some states in the United States (Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and Virginia and Kentucky) and associated territories (Puerto Rico)
What part of speech is commonwealth?
commonwealth is commonly used as noun.