commonwealth
13
6.6
- noun
- /ˈkɒmənˌwɛlθ/
- Formal
:
estado (EE. UU.)
- The students, faculty, staff, donors, alumni, and citizens of the commonwealth deserve nothing less.
- commonwealth constitution
- territorial commonwealth
Is Puerto Rico a state or a Commonwealth?
- Is Puerto Rico a state or a Commonwealth?
Examples
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Recently, the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico voted for the opportunity to become a state.
Blog text (8) -
The Virginia governor's race will help establish whether the commonwealth has become a truly blue state.
Blog text (29) -
These are, these can all be countries and they are, you know, like the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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And as for Alex Jones, he has orders not to leave the commonwealth.
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I, I'm active in this great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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Also, here in Pennsylvania, the state supreme court sent the issue back to the commonwealth courts.
Blog text (9) -
He has always been a beloved member of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a part of our Commonwealth.
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And much to our sadness, but joy in her next opportunity, she left MIT earlier this fall to take a role in public service with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
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The next two paragraphs note that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens and that Puerto Rico is a commonwealth with its own constitution.
Academic text (1993) -
The commonwealth of Virginia is known for its rich history and cultural heritage.
Compounds
2
3.9
A group of independent countries that were once ruled by Britain and share ties to the British Crown
A group of countries from the former Soviet Union that work together
The official name of the country that covers the whole Australian continent
An annual day when Commonwealth countries celebrate their unity and shared values
The spelling used in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, for example colour and centre
Way of writing English words used in the UK, Ireland and many Commonwealth countries, different from American English
A group of independent countries, many once ruled by Britain, that work together on shared issues
A self-governing area linked to the United States on the island of Puerto Rico
An island country in the Atlantic Ocean east of Florida and Cuba, famous for white sandy beaches
English spelling used in the UK, Ireland and many other countries, different from American spelling
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Commonwealth was used as an official name for some US states to stress the idea behind common ('shared by everyone') and wealth ('well-being' or 'public good'). So using Commonwealth in a state's title is a tradition that highlights the state's focus on its citizens' welfare.