public interest
Americannoun
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the welfare or well-being of the general public; commonwealth.
health programs that directly affect the public interest.
-
appeal or relevance to the general populace.
a news story of public interest.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of public interest
First recorded in 1670–80
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“There is no legal basis for the Court to conduct an independent public interest review,” the companies wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Support those lawyers who are doing this work—there are some great public interest law firms doing this kind of work.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
Otty argued against contempt of court proceedings being brought, saying it would not be in the public interest given Sir John's detailed investigation, MI5's apologies, and its commitment to a programme of reform.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Helmets became a matter of keen public interest 20 years ago, after researchers linked football-related head trauma with the brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
When radio broadcasts of recorded music began from 1920 onwards, public interest in having one’s own record collection accelerated; what had been a trickle turned into a flood.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
