1. A politically organized body of people under a single government
   "the commonwealth has elected a new president";
   - state, nation, country, land, res publica, body politic
    
2. A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
   "The United States is a federal commonwealth composed of 50 states";
   - republic
    
3. 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
   "The Commonwealth of Nations includes many former British colonies"
    
4. The official name of some states in the United States (Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and Virginia and Kentucky) and associated territories (Puerto Rico)
   "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a rich history"

1. An association of nations consisting of the United Kingdom and several former British colonies that are now sovereign states but still pay allegiance to the British Crown
   - British Commonwealth, Commonwealth of Nations

Derived forms: commonwealths

Type of: form of government, global organisation [Brit], global organization, international organisation [Brit], international organization, political entity, political system, political unit, province, state, world organisation [Brit], world organization

Encyclopedia: Commonwealth, Virginia