Commonwealth
Defined in 7 dictionaries — U.S. Code, Cyclopedic (1922), Ballentine's (1916), Bouvier (1914), Black's (1910), Black's (1891), Anderson (1889)
United States Code
48 U.S.C. § 1806 — in this section
The term "Commonwealth" means the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary
Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922
A free state or republic having a republican form of government. The English nation during the time of Cromwell was called a commonwealth. It is the legal title of the states of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Used sometimes as denoting the public; the common welfare of the people.
Ballentine's Law Dictionary
James A. Ballentine · 1916
Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia
John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914
A word which properly signifies the common weal or public policy; sometimes it is used to designate a republican form of government. But it was used in royal times in reference to England 17 L. Q. R. 131. The English nation during the time of Cromwell was called The Commonwealth. It is the legal title of the states of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Virginia. C0MM0RANT. One residing in a particular town, city, or district Barnes 162.
Black's Law Dictionary
Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910
The public or common weal or welfare. This cannot be regarded as a technical term of public law, though often used in political science. It generally designates, when so employed, a republican frame of government,—one in which the welfare and rights of the entire mass of people are the main consideration, rather than the privlleges of a class or the will of a monarch ; or it may designate the body of citizens living under such a government. Sometimes it may denote the corporate entity or the government, of a jural society (or state) possessing powers of selfgovernment in respect of its immediate concerns, but forming an integral part of a larger government, (or nation.)
In this latter sense, it Is the official title of several of the United States, (as Pennsylvanla and Massachusetts,) and would be appropriate to them all.
In the former sense, the word was used to designate the English government during the protectorate of Cromwell. See Government; Nation; State. (State v. Lambert, 44 W. Va. 308, 28 S. E. 930.)
A Dictionary of Law
Henry Campbell Black · 1891
The public or common weal or welfare. This cannot be regarded as a teclinical term of public law, though often used in political science. It generally designates, when so employed, a republican frame of government,—one in rather than the privileges of a class or the will of a monarch; or it may designate the body of citizens living under such a goverament. Sometimes it may denote the corporate entity, or the government, of a jural society (or state) possessing powers of sel[-goyernment in respect of its immediate concerns, but forming an integral part of a larger government, (or nation.)
In this latter sense, it is the official title of several of the United States, (as Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, ) and would be appropriate tothemali. Inthe former serse, the word was used to designate the English government during the protectorate of Cromwell, See GOVERNMENT; Na- TION; STATE.
A Dictionary of Law
William C. Anderson · 1889
The common or public weal: the republic; the state, or a State; the people, gg. v. " The commonwealth or public polity of the kingdom." ' Blackstone also wrote it "commonwealth."" The legal title of a few of the States, as of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia.