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commonwealth Definition

common·wealth (-welt̸h′)

noun

  1. the people of a nation or state; body politic
    1. a nation or state in which there is self-government; democracy or republic
    2. a federation of states [the Commonwealth of Australia]: Commonwealth is also the official designation of Puerto Rico, in its special status under the U.S. government
  3. ☆ loosely any state of the U.S.; strictly, Ky., Mass., Pa., or Va., which were so designated in their first constitutions
  4. a group of people united by common interests
  5. Obsolete the general welfare; commonweal

Etymology: ME commun welthe: see common & wealth

commonwealth Idioms

the Commonwealth

  1. the government in England under the Cromwells and Parliament from 1649 to 1660
  2. association of independent nations (53 in September, 2004), all former components of the British Empire, united for purposes of consultation and mutual assistance: all members acknowledge the British sovereign as symbolic head of the association
commonwealth Synonyms

commonwealth

n.

  1. The body politic

    the people, commonality, polity; see nation 1, population.

  2. A republic

    federation, democracy, constitutional government; see republic.

commonwealth Law Definition

n

  1. The people of a state or country.
  2. A state or country where sovereignty is vested in the people.
commonwealth Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • nation: A commonwealth of nations fought, Inspired by her strength, Democracy was held intact By the price they paid at length.
  • massachusetts: The commonwealth of massachusetts your friends or watching you work field of pastry.

Converse of object

  • join: Already it has compelled many of them to join the so-called Commonwealth of Independent States.
  • leave: The great majority did, although Ireland did not and South Africa left the Commonwealth for many years.
  • include: European, North American and other international ( including Commonwealth ) monitors were not invited.
  • establish: A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the U.S. was approved in 1975.
  • build: At Edinburgh, I hope that together we can start to build a Commonwealth for the 21st Century.
  • say: Adams castigated my biography of Thomas More in a review in the New Republic because I said the island commonwealth had no king.

Adjective modifier

  • godly: Davies sees a strong compensation for this weakness in the idea of the godly commonwealth.
  • ethical: Kant had anticipated some of the features of the ethical commonwealth in earlier works.
  • modern: The modern Commonwealth has sought to be relevant by championing democracy.
  • British: It is not just the term " the British Commonwealth " that should be consigned to history.
  • free: A most free commonwealth of " voters; " but with Eternal Justice to preside over it, Eternal Justice enforced by Almighty Power!

Modifies a noun

  • citizen: United Kingdom 1985 UK government imposed visa requirements on visitors from Sri Lanka - first time Commonwealth citizens obliged to have visas.
  • cemetery: It is now the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world in terms of burials.
  • fund: The concerns i whether price response commonwealth fund reported an agent work.
  • affair: Hancock, W.K. , Survey of British commonwealth affairs, vol.
  • country: For UK General elections candidates must be citizens of the UK, Ireland or a commonwealth country.
  • game: Michael, a commonwealth games athlete, finished seventh in 2002, was having to deal with the same slippery conditions.
commonwealth Quotes

In my dreams is a country where the State is the Church and the Church the people: three in one and one in three. It is a commonwealth in which work is play and play is life: three in one and one in three. It is a temple in which the priest is the worshipper and the worshipper the worshipped: three in one and one in three. It is a godhead in which all life is human and all humanity divine: three in one and one in three. It is, in short, the dream of a madman.

—Shaw, George Bernard

Individuals pass like shadows, but the Commonwealth is fixed and stable.

—Burke, Edmund

   In this House, which is termed a place of free speech, there is nothing so necessary for the preservation of the Prince and State as free speech; and without it, it is a scorn and a mockery to call it a Parliament House, for in truth it is none but a very school of flatteryand dissimulation, and so fit a place to serve the devil and his angels in, and not to glorify God and benefit the Commonwealth.

—Wentworth, Peter

Great Britain has lost an Empire and not yet found a role. The attempt to playa separate power roleöthat is, a role apart from Europe, based on a special relationship with the United States, on being the head of the Commonwealthöis about to be played out. Her Majesty's Government is now attempting, wisely in my opinion, to re-enter Europe.

—Acheson, Dean Gooderham

   It is therefore our business carefully to cultivate in our minds, to rear to the most perfect vigour and maturity, every sort of generous and honest feeling that belongs to our nature. To bring the dispositions that are loved in private life into the service and conduct of the commonwealth; so to be patriots, asnot toforget we are gentlemen.

—Burke, Edmund

I thought that the best thing to do was to settle up these littlelocal difficulties, and thenturntothewider visionof the Commonwealth.

—Stockton