A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the

common good In philosophy, economics, and political science, the common good (also commonwealth, general welfare, or public benefit) is either what is shared and beneficial for all or most members of a given community, or alternatively, what is achieved by c ...

. Historically, it has been synonymous with " republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth or the common wealth – echoed in the modern synonym "public wealth"), it comes from the old meaning of "

wealth Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating Old English word , which is from an I ...

", which is "well-being", and is itself a loose translation of the Latin res publica (republic). The term literally meant "common well-being". In the 17th century, the definition of "commonwealth" expanded from its original sense of "

public welfare Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...

" or " commonweal" to mean "a state in which the supreme power is vested in the people; a republic or

democratic state Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choose gover ...

". The term evolved to become a title to a number of political entities. Three countries – Australia, the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...

, and Dominica – have the official title "Commonwealth", as do four

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

s and two

U.S. territories Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions overseen by the federal government of the United States. The various American territories differ from the U.S. states and tribal reservations as they are not sover ...

. Since the early 20th century, the term has been used to name some fraternal associations of states, most notably the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the ...

, an organisation primarily of former

territories A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

. The organisation is not to be confused with the realms of the Commonwealth.

Historical use

Rome

Translations of Ancient Roman writers' works to English have on occasion translated "'' Res publica''", and variants thereof, to "the commonwealth", a term referring to the Roman state as a whole.

England

The

Commonwealth of England The Commonwealth was the political structure during the period from 1649 to 1660 when England and Wales, later along with Ireland and Scotland, were governed as a republic after the end of the Second English Civil War and the trial and execu ...

was the official name of the political unit (''de facto'' military rule in the name of parliamentary supremacy) that replaced the

Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various History of Anglo-Saxon England, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Kingdom of Scotland, ...

(after the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

) from 1649–53 and 1659–60, under the rule of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

and his son and successor

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...

. From 1653 to 1659, although still legally known as a Commonwealth, the republic, united with the former

Kingdom of Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland (; , ) was a sovereign state in northwest Europe traditionally said to have been founded in 843. Its territories expanded and shrank, but it came to occupy the northern third of the island of Great Britain, sharing a l ...

, operated under different institutions (at times as a ''de facto'' monarchy) and is known by historians as the

Protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its int ...

. In a British context, it is sometimes referred to as the "Old Commonwealth".

Iceland

The

Icelandic Commonwealth The Icelandic Commonwealth, also known as the Icelandic Free State, was the political unit existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in 930 and the pledge of fealty to the Norwegian king with the Old Covenant in 1262. With ...

or the

Icelandic Free State The Icelandic Commonwealth, also known as the Icelandic Free State, was the political unit existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in 930 and the pledge of fealty to the Norwegian king with the Old Covenant in 1262. With ...

( is, Þjóðveldið) was the state existing in Iceland between the establishment of the

Althing The Alþingi (''general meeting'' in Icelandic, , anglicised as ' or ') is the supreme national parliament of Iceland. It is one of the oldest surviving parliaments in the world. The Althing was founded in 930 at (" thing fields" or "assemb ...

in 930 and the pledge of fealty to the Norwegian king in 1262. It was initially established by a public consisting largely of recent immigrants from

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

who had fled the unification of that country under

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Harald Fairhair Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagre Modern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Nor ...

Philippines

The Commonwealth of the Philippines was the administrative body that governed the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

from 1935 to 1946, aside from a period of exile in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

from 1942 to 1945 when Japan occupied the country. It replaced the

Insular Government The Insular Government of the Philippine IslandsThis form of the name appeared in the titles of U.S. Supreme Court cases, but was otherwise rarely used. See s:Costas v. Insular Government of the Philippine Islands/Opinion of the Court, Costas v ...

, a United States territorial government, and was established by the

Tydings–McDuffie Act The Tydings–McDuffie Act, officially the Philippine Independence Act (), is an Act of Congress that established the process for the Philippines, then an American territory, to become an independent country after a ten-year transition period. ...

. The Commonwealth was designed as a transitional administration in preparation for the country's full achievement of independence, which was achieved in 1946. The Commonwealth of the Philippines was a founding member of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

Poland–Lithuania

''Republic'' is still an alternative translation of the traditional name ''

Rzeczpospolita () is the official name of Poland and a traditional name for some of its predecessor states. It is a compound of "thing, matter" and "common", a calque of Latin ''rés pública'' ( "thing" + "public, common"), i.e. ''republic'', in Engli ...

'' of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...

Wincenty Kadłubek Wincenty Kadłubek ( 1150 – 8 March 1223) was a Polish Catholic prelate and professed Cistercian who served as the Bishop of Kraków from 1208 until his resignation in 1218. His episcopal mission was to reform the diocesan priests to ensure ...

(Vincent Kadlubo, 1160–1223) used for the first time the original Latin term '' res publica'' in the context of Poland in his "Chronicles of the Kings and Princes of Poland". The name was used officially for the

confederal A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

union formed by

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

and Lithuania 1569–1795. It is also often referred as " Nobles' Commonwealth" (1505–1795, i.e., before the union). In the contemporary political doctrine of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, "our state is a Republic (or Commonwealth) under the presidency of the King". The Commonwealth introduced a doctrine of religious tolerance called

Warsaw Confederation The Warsaw Confederation, signed on 28 January 1573 by the Polish national assembly (''sejm konwokacyjny'') in Warsaw, was one of the first European acts granting religious freedoms. It was an important development in the history of Poland and o ...

, had its own parliament ''

Sejm The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of ...

'' (although elections were restricted to

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

and elected kings, who were bound to certain contracts ''Pacta conventa (Poland), Pacta conventa'' from the beginning of the reign). "A commonwealth of good counsaile" was the title of the 1607 English translation of the work of Wawrzyniec Grzymała Goślicki "De optimo senatore" that presented to English readers many of the ideas present in the political system of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Catalonia

Between 1914 and 1925, Catalonia was an autonomous region of Spain. Its government during that time was given the title ''mancomunidad'' (Catalan language, Catalan: ''mancomunitat''), which is translated into English as "commonwealth". The Commonwealth of Catalonia had limited powers and was formed as a federation of the four Catalan provinces. A number of Catalan-language institutions were created during its existence.

Liberia

Between 1838 and 1847, Liberia was officially known as the "Commonwealth of Liberia". It changed its name to the "Republic of Liberia" when it declared independence (and adopted a new constitution) in 1847.

Current use

Australia

"Commonwealth" was first proposed as a term for a Federation of Australia, federation of the six Australian crown colony, crown colonies at the Constitutional Convention (Australia)#1891 convention, 1891 constitutional convention in Sydney. Its adoption was initially controversial, as it was associated by some with the republicanism of

(#England, see above), but it was retained in all subsequent drafts of the constitution. The term was finally incorporated into law in the ''Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900'', which established the federation. Australia operates under a federal system, in which power is divided between the federal (national) government and the States and territories of Australia, state governments (the successors of the six colonies). So, in an Australian context, the term "Commonwealth" (capitalised), which is often abbreviated to Cth, refers to the Government of Australia, federal government, and "Commonwealth of Australia" is the official name of the country.

The Bahamas

The Bahamas, a Commonwealth realm, has used the official style ''Commonwealth of The Bahamas'' since its independence in 1973.

Dominica

The small Caribbean republic of Dominica has used the official style ''Commonwealth of Dominica'' since 1978.

Certain U.S. states and territories

States

Four U.S. state, states of the United States, United States of America officially designate themselves as "commonwealths". All four were part of British America, Great Britain's possessions along the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic coast of North America prior to the American Revolution. As such, they share a strong influence of common law, English common law in some of their laws and institutions. The four are: *Kentucky is designated a commonwealth by the Kentucky Constitution as the "Commonwealth of Kentucky". *Massachusetts is a commonwealth, declaring itself as such in its constitution, which states: "[T]he body politic is formed by a voluntary association of individuals: it is a social compact, by which the whole people covenants with each citizen, and each citizen with the whole people, that all shall be governed by certain laws for the common good." *Pennsylvania uses the "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" constitutionally and in its official title. *Virginia has been known as the "Commonwealth of Virginia" since before the American Revolutionary War, and is referred to as a commonwealth in its constitution.

Territories

Two Territories of the United States, organized but Unincorporated territories of the United States, unincorporated U.S. territories are called commonwealths. The two are: *Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, since 1952 *Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, since 1978 In 2016, the Council of the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C. city council also selected "Douglass Commonwealth" as the potential name of Statehood movement in the District of Columbia, State of Washington, D.C., following the 2016 Washington, D.C. statehood referendum, 2016 statehood referendum, at least partially in order to retain the initials "D.C." as the state's abbreviation.

International bodies

Commonwealth of Nations

The

—formerly the British Commonwealth—is a voluntary association of 54 independent sovereign states, most of which were once part of the

. The Commonwealth's membership includes both republics and monarchies. The Head of the Commonwealth was Queen Elizabeth II, who also reigned as monarch directly in the 16 member states known as Commonwealth realms until her death in 2022.

Commonwealth of Independent States

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a loose military alliance, alliance or confederation consisting of nine of the 15 Post-Soviet states, former Soviet Republics, the exceptions being Turkmenistan (a CIS associate member), Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, and Georgia (country), Georgia. Georgia (country), Georgia left the CIS in August 2008 following 2008 South Ossetia war, the 2008 invasion of the Russia, Russian military into South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Its creation signalled the dissolution of the Soviet Union, its purpose being to "allow a civilised divorce" between the Republics of the Soviet Union, Soviet Republics. The CIS has developed as a forum by which the member-states can co-operate in economics, Defence (military), defence, and foreign policy.Constantine, Michalopoulos, and Tarr David. "The economics of customs unions in the Commonwealth of Independent States." Post-Soviet Geography and Economics 38, no. 3 (1997): 125-143.

Proposed use

United Kingdom

Labour Party (UK), Labour MP Tony Benn sponsored a ''Commonwealth of Britain Bill'' several times between 1991 and 2001, intended to abolish the monarchy and establish a Republicanism in the United Kingdom, British republic. It never reached second reading.