public interest

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.

Other Word Forms

• public-interest adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of public interest¹

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

However, Israel's High Court of Justice has previously ruled that the president could pardon an individual before they are convicted if it is in the public interest or if there are extreme personal circumstances.

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“Secretary Kennedy is right that conflict of interest is an important issue, but he is wrong that it is present at substantial levels on HHS vaccine advisory committees,” study co-author Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and former FDA associate commissioner, said in a press release.

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Mark Rosenbaum, senior special counsel for strategic litigation for the public interest law firm Public Counsel, agreed that enforcement will be the key to whether the new office is effective.

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The public interest law firm has filed or joined multiple lawsuits against the federal government this year over its deportation agenda.

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Unveiling the initiative she said was referred to as Japan's DOGE, the minister said that "there is high public interest in reducing waste."

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Related Words

• glare 
• prominence 
• public eye 
• spotlight