what is a commonwealth in the united states
Commonwealth (U.S. state) The term "Commonwealth" does not describe or provide for any specific political status or legal relationship when used by a state.[8] Those that do use it are equal to those that do not. A traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good, it is used symbolically to emphasize that these states have a "government based on the common consent of the people"[9] as opposed to one legitimized through their earlier colonial status that was derived from the British crown. It refers to the common "wealth", or welfare, of the public[10] and is derived from a loose translation of the Latin term res publica.[a]