1. Plural of commonwealth; a political community founded for the common good; a state or nation.
Usage: Often used in historical or formal contexts; Frequently capitalized when referring to specific political entities (e.g., Commonwealth of Massachusetts)
2. The general welfare or public good of a community or society.
Usage: Formal or archaic usage

Examples

• The thirteen original commonweals united to form the United States.
• Several commonweals in the British Commonwealth maintain their own governments.
• The founding documents emphasized the importance of the commonweals over individual gain.
• Leaders debated how to balance individual rights with the commonweals.
• Many European commonweals adopted democratic constitutions in the 19th century.
• The organization works to promote the commonweals of all member nations.