Four of the 50 states in the United States use the term "Commonwealth" in their full official state names: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. However, the term "Commonwealth" does not describe or provide for any specific political status or legal relationship when used by a state. Those that do use it are equal to those that do not. The term "Commonwealth" is a traditional English term used to describe a political community as having been founded for the common good. Legally, Massachusetts is a commonwealth because the term is contained in the Constitution. The distinction between a state and a commonwealth is mostly symbolic and has no legal or political significance.