commonweal

American  

[kom-uhn-weel] / ˈkɒm ənˌwil /

Or common weal

noun

1. the common welfare; the public good.

2. Archaic. the body politic; a commonwealth.

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commonweal British  

/ ˈkɒmənˌwiːl /

noun

1. the good of the community

2. another name for commonwealth

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Etymology

Origin of commonweal

First recorded in 1350–1400, commonweal is from Middle English comen wele. See common, weal ¹

Example Sentences

A speech designed to discuss the commonweal will be delivered to a nation that is having increasing difficulty finding much of anything in common.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 27, 2022

Politicians and assorted intellectuals lazily depict public expressions of faith as providing exponential benefits for the commonweal.

From Salon • Jan. 7, 2022

The problem, of course, is a widespread disinclination to serve that good, whether it is fueled by selfishness and ignorance or the sense that one’s contributions to the commonweal have not felt adequately reciprocal.

From New York Times • Oct. 29, 2021

America, of course, already has a celebrity dad: Tom Hanks, whose very blood is apparently being used to contribute to the commonweal.

From Slate • Apr. 28, 2020

Benedict XIV justly said: "The degree of proof required is the same as that required for a criminal case, since the cause of religion and piety is that of the commonweal."

From Three Thousand Years of Mental Healing by Cutten, George Barton