Dictionary.com

public domain

Save This Word!
See synonyms for public domain on Thesaurus.com
noun Law.
the status of a literary work or an invention whose copyright or patent has expired or that never had such protection.
land owned by the government.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
candystring
candyfloss
candypuff
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of public domain

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

OTHER WORDS FROM public domain

pub·lic-do·main, adjective

Words nearby public domain

public company, public convenience, public corporation, public debt, public defender, public domain, public enemy, Public Enemy Number One, public enterprise, public expenditure, public eye
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to public domain

public ownership

How to use public domain in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for public domain

public domain
noun
US lands owned by a state or by the federal government
the status of a published work or invention upon which the copyright or patent has expired or which has not been patented or subject to copyright. It may thus be freely used by the public
in the public domain able to be discussed and examined freely by the general public
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK