public domain

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.

public domain

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

Other Word Forms

• public-domain adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of public domain¹

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

Cash said that much of the information he discussed with Berry was already in the public domain.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But the CPS later made clear it would not stand in the way if ministers chose to put the government's evidence in the public domain.

Read more on BBC

"What were they going to find out that wasn't in the public domain?"

Read more on BBC

The text it was trained on is in the public domain, so anyone can see it.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Most hearings take place in private, with judges governed by family law which aims to protect children by keeping their identities out of the public domain.

Read more on BBC