State vs Comonwealth?

Question

Can someone tell me the difference between a state and a commonwealth? (( Ive read different definitions, theyre too technical) Thank You

Answer 1

A commonwealth is technically any politically organized body of people under a single government. In practice, a commonwealth is usually a group of political sub-units united and organized within a central governing body.

A state is any group of people comprising the government of a sovereign political unit. In practice under a federal or confederate model, a state or province is usually a sub-part of another larger country.

In the US, we only have states. However, four of the states have the word "Commonwealth" still in their name, from time of the original founding of the country. Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.