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

Waterways must be treated as essential public goods.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

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

Doctorow’s concept about online platforms has since been applied everywhere and anywhere you can find capitalism hollowing out public goods.

From Slate • Oct. 30, 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

And on account of the diphthong, grammarians do not derive it from liteh, which signifies prayers, but from public goods, which they call leita, so that leitourgeoh means, I attend to, I administer public goods.

From Apology of the Augsburg Confession by Melanchthon, Philipp