national interest

American  

[nash-uh-nuhl in-trist] / ˈnæʃ ə nəl ˈɪn trɪst /

noun

• national interests
  plural

1. the interest, concern, or benefit of the whole nation as opposed to that of any particular group, party, etc., within the nation, especially with reference to international affairs or global economy.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• national interests
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

national interest

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who could possibly overturn the commission’s decision on the grounds of national interest or national security.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Perhaps in part because of his time overseas in the Air Force, he believed U.S. military, economic and diplomatic power could be marshaled to expand freedom in the world in the American national interest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Energy minister Chris McDonald said the government was "acting decisively and with a purpose in the national interest".

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

“My popularity depends on my ability to defend Italy’s national interest, and that is exactly what I have always done,” she said.

From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026

The office of the presidency, as he saw it, was designed to levitate above the party squabbles and transcend partisan versions of the national interest.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis