special interest
Americannoun
-
a political or economic stake in something.
Japan had a special interest in the South China Sea.
Other Word Forms
- special-interest adjective
Etymology
Origin of special interest
An Americanism dating back to 1785–90
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 can be a breakdown of communication," Dr Pippa Bowes, an urgent care doctor in Southampton with a special interest in acute dermatology, explains.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
In an interview Monday, she portrayed herself as not beholden to any special interest groups.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026
All of which may be of special interest to the thousands of Americans who are now turning 65 every day, during the era known as “Peak 65.”
From MarketWatch • Feb. 5, 2026
He had special interest in landscaping details, insisting on low-density building complexes, deciding the company should spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to plant new trees, says Mayer, now 37.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025
He was also given access to the Church’s personal trainer, Harry Sneider, a former weight-lifting champion who took a special interest in Bobby.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
