commonwealth

n 1: the official name of some states in the United States

(Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and Virginia and

Kentucky) and associated territories (Puerto Rico)

2: a politically organized body of people under a single

government; "the state has elected a new president" [syn:

{state}, {nation}, {country}, {land}, {res publica}, {body

politic}]

3: a political system governed by the people or their

representatives [syn: {democracy}, {republic}] [ant: {autocracy}]