public interest

American

noun

the welfare or well-being of the general public; commonwealth.

health programs that directly affect the public interest.
appeal or relevance to the general populace.

a news story of public interest.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

public-interest

adjective

Etymology

Origin of public interest

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Roy said she would run the city attorney’s office as L.A.’s “largest public interest law firm,” focusing on tenants’ rights, wage theft and other issues affecting working-class Angelenos.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

In the letter, the lawmakers said that prediction markets tied to sports and other areas were against the public interest and offered little economic value.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

Lawmakers, legal authorities and public interest groups have increasingly been raising concerns about the personal and societal risks posed by AI, one of the fastest-growing consumer technologies in history.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

Greaney said: "The Crown's assessment is that while the count on the indictment is serious and the case has attracted significant public interest, it cannot be properly described as one of extreme gravity."

From BBC • May 29, 2026

The two complaints were not helping the old firebrand Malcolm X image any, nor were they generating the local public interest that was badly needed by his small, young OAAU.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023