commonwealths

1. the official name of some states in the United States (Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and Virginia and Kentucky) and associated territories (Puerto Rico)Synonyms: commonwealth

2. a politically organized body of people under a single governmentExamples: "the state has elected a new president"; "African nations"; "students who had come to the nation's capitol"Synonyms: body politic, commonwealth, country, land, nation, res publica, state

3. a world organization of autonomous states that are united in allegiance to a central power but are not subordinate to it or to one anotherSynonyms: commonwealth

4. a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent themSynonyms: commonwealth, democracy, republic