commonwealth

Pluralcommonwealths

1. 1
   group of nationsproper noun · Commonwealth

   A loose group of countries built around the lands that were once the British Empire.

   Many countries in Africa and the Caribbean belong to the Commonwealth.

   Leaders from all over the Commonwealth met to talk about trade.

   Note
2. 2
   whole societynouncountable

   All the people of a country, seen together as one state.

   Every person in the commonwealth must obey the same laws.

   Good leaders work for the whole commonwealth, not just for the rich.

   Similarstate, polity, society

   Note
3. 3
   republicnouncountable

   A country with no king or queen, where the people choose who leads them.

   The rebels wanted to get rid of the king and make the country a commonwealth.

   In a commonwealth, no one is born with the right to rule.

   Similarrepublic

   Oppositemonarchy, kingdom

   Note
4. 4
   Australiaproper noun · CommonwealthAustralia

   Australia, often meaning its national government, not the state governments.

   Schools in Queensland get money from both the state and the Commonwealth.

   The Commonwealth and the states argued over who should pay for the new hospital.

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5. 5
   English historyproper noun · CommonwealthhistoricalBritish

   The government of England, and later of Scotland and Ireland too, from 1649 to 1660, when there was no king.

   Most theaters stayed shut during the Commonwealth.

   Many people were glad when the Commonwealth ended and a king came back in 1660.

   Note

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