what does it mean to be part of the commonwealth

Three countries – Australia, the Bahamas, and Dominica – have the official title 'Commonwealth', as do four U.S. The term evolved to become a title to a number of political entities. In the 17th century, the definition of 'commonwealth' expanded from its original sense of ' public welfare' or ' commonweal' to mean 'a state in which the supreme power is vested in the people a republic or democratic state'. The term literally meant 'common well-being'. 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', which is 'well-being', and is itself a loose translation of the Latin res publica (republic). The noun 'commonwealth', meaning 'public welfare, general good or advantage', dates from the 15th century. Historically, it has been synonymous with ' republic'.

JSTOR ( July 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Ī commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good.

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What does it mean to be part of the commonwealth