commonweal
commonweal · commonweals
The body politic; republicThe body politic; republic.
/ˌkɒmənˈwiːl/
Meaning
2 sensesThe body politic; republic.
(archaic)The common good; public wellbeing or prosperity.
the good of a community
Origin
From Middle English comun wele, commen wele, comune wele, equivalent to common (“public”)From Middle English comun wele, commen wele, comune wele, equivalent to common (“public”) + weal (“well-being”). By the 1520s used by some authors as the equivalent of res publica (republic), alongside commonwealth from about the same time.
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Forms
plural: commonwealsSynonyms
2 synonymsClose in meaning
- the good of a community:common good
Word family
1 related wordsDerivedcommonwealthB2