public interest

American  

noun

1. the welfare or well-being of the general public; commonwealth.

   health programs that directly affect the public interest.

2. appeal or relevance to the general populace.

   a news story of public interest.

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Other Word Forms

• public-interest adjective

Etymology

Origin of public interest

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

The harder she tried to cover up the Epstein files, the more public interest in them grew.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

"Public media exists to serve the public interest -- that of Americans -- not that of any political agenda or elected official," it said in a statement.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

At the end of the proceedings, the lawyer said that given the level of public interest in the trial, she wanted to set out the reasons for the decision.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Dan Wall, Live Nation’s executive vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs, said the settlement was in the public interest and included most of what Slater had sought.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

But its administration was utterly unable to reconcile its responsibilities as a disinterested servant of the public interest and those of an owner of a commercially valuable patent.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• glare
• prominence
• public eye
• spotlight