Commonwealth
the state or prosperity of a country without any reference to the form of government under which it may be at the time. Owing to the semi-independent position of the States of the American Union the term commonwealth is of frequent application to the various members of the great Federal Government, which itself is spoken of as the National or Federal Commonwealth in contradistinction from its constituent autonomies. In many of the States the legal proceedings against criminals, etc., are instituted in the name of the (e. g.) "Commonwealth of vs. John Doe."
The word is also applied to the period in the history of England during which the Parliamentary army and the Protector Oliver Cromwell exercised the power of government. See OLIVER CROM- WELL.