special interest

American  

noun

1. special-interest group.

2. a political or economic stake in something.

   Japan had a special interest in the South China Sea.

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Other Word Forms

• special-interest adjective

Etymology

Origin of special interest

An Americanism dating back to 1785–90

Example Sentences

Professor Brown and Professor Green, along with a handful of other people on the faculty who had taken a special interest in me, and then the list kind of sputtered to a stop.

From Literature

“As the epicenter of the entertainment industry, California has a special interest in protecting competition,” he posted Friday on X.

From Los Angeles Times

Of special interest, will he full-throatedly endorse NASA’s Artemis II launch, expected in the next month or so?

From The Wall Street Journal

In an interview Monday, she portrayed herself as not beholden to any special interest groups.

From Los Angeles Times

It would demonstrate that grassroots movements can overcome entrenched special interests.

From The Wall Street Journal