Commonalty

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  commonalty \com"mon*al*ty\, commonality \com`mon*al"i*ty\, n.;
     pl. {Commonalties}. [OF. communalt['e]; F. communaut['e], fr.
     communal. See {Communal}.]
     1. The common people; those classes and conditions of people
        who are below the rank of nobility; the commons.
        [1913 Webster]


  
              The commonalty, like the nobility, are divided into
              several degrees.                      --Blackstone.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The ancient fare of our kings differed from that of
              the commonalty in plenteousness only. --Landon.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The majority or bulk of mankind. [Obs.] --Hooker.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  commonalty
       n : class composed of persons lacking noble or knightly or
           gentle rank [syn: {commonality}, {commons}]

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  COMMONALTY, Eng. law. This word signifies, 1st. the common people of 
  England, as contradistinguished from the king and the nobles; 2d. the body 
  of a society as the masters, wardens, and commonalty of such a society.