commonwealth

Meanings

1. The well-being of a community.
2. The entirety of a (secular) society, a polity, a state.
3. Republic. Often capitalized, as Commonwealth.

1. The Commonwealth of Nations, a loose confederation of nations based around the former British Empire.
2. The Commonwealth of England (1649–1653); the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland (1653–1660).
3. Australia, the Commonwealth of Australia, often referring to its federal government.
4. Kentucky, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, often referring to its government.
5. Massachusetts, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, often referring to its government.
6. Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, often referring to its government.
7. Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia, often referring to its government.

1. A barangay of Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
2. A barangay of Rosario, Northern Samar, Philippines.
3. A barangay of Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines.

Etymology

From common (“public”) + wealth (“well-being”). From c. 1450 as common wele (commonweal). In the form common-wealth (common welthe) from c. 1520, used by Tyndale in the sense "secular society" in particular, for which other authors preferred publike weal. Also from the 1520s treated as a synonym or loan-translation of res publica (republic) (Rollison 2017:67f).