public goods

British  

plural noun

1. services such as national defence, law enforcement, and road building, that are for the benefit of, and available to, all members of the public

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Example Sentences

That was from an international rules-based order, under “American hegemony,” which he said “helped provide public goods, open sea lanes, a stable financial system, collective security, and support for frameworks for resolving disputes.”

From Barron's • Jan. 24, 2026

Church-state separation is worth defending not necessarily because of the principle in and of itself, but because it helps protect public goods.

From Slate • Feb. 3, 2025

Such goods are the only feasible way to improve the lives of your supporters, while also — by virtue of these being public goods — benefiting members of the opposition.

From Salon • Sep. 29, 2024

Economist Arvind Subramanian calls this Mr Modi's "New Welfarism", funding essential private items like toilets, rather than expanding public goods such as primary education and healthcare.

From BBC • May 8, 2024

Objective studies have consistently shown that immigrants contribute more to their host economies - as consumers, investors and workers - than they ever claw back in social services and public goods.

From The Belgian Curtain Europe after Communism by Vaknin, Samuel