public domain

American  

noun

Law.

1. the status of a literary work or an invention whose copyright or patent has expired or that never had such protection.

2. land owned by the government.

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public domain British  

noun

1. lands owned by a state or by the federal government

2. 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

3. able to be discussed and examined freely by the general public

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Other Word Forms

• public-domain
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of public domain

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

“I had thought these were our deepest secrets, the things we kept entirely for each other,” she thinks, but by some grievous betrayal they have entered the public domain.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

But the widespread internet outages, a slowing economy and rising prices have seen discontent trickle into the public domain in recent weeks.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Meanwhile, the Bible bursts with globally familiar stories, all of which are in the public domain.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

"It was in the public domain where many people could see it, and get cheated into buying or selling stocks, as if I'd recommended them," explains Ramamurthy.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

Congress effectively outlawed their communal property, passing vast acreages into the public domain, tracts which then suddenly wound up in the hands of large American ranching enterprises like the Devine Company.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols