commonwealth

CEFRB2

/ˈkɑmənˌwɛlθ/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A self-governing political community or state.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    Republic. Often capitalized, as Commonwealth.

Examples

  • Barbados is a member of the Commonwealth.

  • For what the soul is to the body, a good prince is to the commonwealth.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
2

Also pronounced

  • /ˈkɒmənˌwelθ/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The entirety of a (secular) society, a polity, a state.

  2. The well-being of a community.

More examples

In context

  • Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, being former British colonies, are the only Southeast Asian member countries of the Commonwealth.

  • Mozambique joined the Commonwealth in 1995, although it had not been a part of the British Empire.

  • 1649, Act of the Long Parliament Be it declared and enacted by this present Parliament and by the Authoritie of the same That the People of England and of all the Dominions and Territoryes thereunto belonging are and shall be and are hereby constituted, made,...

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Nearby

Origin

noun

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).