public interest
Americannoun
-
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
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.
The federal district court issued a preliminary injunction partly on this basis, noting the burdens on election administrators were high and the public interest costs dire.
From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026
With huge public interest in the film from all sides, A24 is pushing for the doc to be considered in the best picture category, which would be a first in Oscars history.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
In time, however, it becomes evident that their personal interests don’t entirely conform to the public interest, and a backlash grows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
“With all the facts, the data, the overwhelming public interest case for our transaction so plain, still we took vicious, often personal abuse,” he recalls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
But when I urge him to speak out, to raise public interest as a defense against factional intrigue, he does not hear me.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
