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

They added: "Farmers across England are now paid public money to deliver public goods... this can help them to become more resilient to nature loss, the biggest long-term threat to our food security."

From BBC • Sep. 11, 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