From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishCommonwealthCommonwealth noun 1 [the] (also British Commonwealth especially old use, Commonwealth of Nations formal) an organization of about 50 independent countries, most of which were formerly part of the British Empire, established in order to encourage trade and friendly relations among its members. The British king or queen is the head of the Commonwealth, and there is a meeting each year for all its heads of government.2 [countable] the official title of a) some states of the US, for example Virginia and Kentucky, b) some countries that are officially connected with the US, especially Puerto Rico c) some countries made up of a group of states, such as Australia3 → the CommonwealthFrom Longman Business DictionaryCommonwealthCom‧mon‧wealth /ˈkɒmənwelθˈkɑː-/ (also Commonwealth of Nations) nounORGANIZATIONS an organization of about 50 countries that were once part of the British EMPIRE, and that are now connected politically and economicallyBritain’s gradual conversion of the colonial Empire into the British Commonwealth of Nations
