special interest
Americannoun
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a political or economic stake in something.
Japan had a special interest in the South China Sea.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of special interest
An Americanism dating back to 1785–90
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.
“That sort of thing to get away from special interest groups having an ax to grind then and then, abusing the corporate governance process for their ends,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
"There can be a breakdown of communication," Dr Pippa Bowes, an urgent care doctor in Southampton with a special interest in acute dermatology, explains.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
All of which may be of special interest to the thousands of Americans who are now turning 65 every day, during the era known as “Peak 65.”
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 5, 2026
Benefit Street focuses on deals involving U.S.-based commercial and multifamily residential assets, with a special interest in locations in low- or no-tax states such as Florida, Texas and Tennessee.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
He had the money and the special interest to have a lot of books that you wouldn’t have in general circulation.
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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
