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

See Examples For:

public goods

Waterways must be treated as essential public goods.

From Barron's ● May 22, 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

But their contributions to various critical public goods are undeniable, and they left behind many institutions dedicated to many noble ends.

From Salon ● Dec. 31, 2024

As environment secretary back in 2018, Michael Gove set the direction of travel by declaring that farmers should receive public money "for public goods" with an emphasis on environmental improvements.

From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2024

Similarly poor people exempt from taxation receive public goods, without paying for them.

From Definition & Reality in the General Theory of Political Economy by Colignatus, Thomas