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.
“As the epicenter of the entertainment industry, California has a special interest in protecting competition,” he posted Friday on X.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
It may all also be of special interest to the millions more who are over 50, or 55, and who are thinking of retiring — or hoping to — in the reasonably near future.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 5, 2026
She has a special interest in small-town America and Southern politics, economics and culture.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026
Just 2.5% of listed sites in England are Grade I. Around 5.8% are Grade II*, meaning they are particularly important buildings of more than special interest.
From BBC • Dec. 10, 2025
What group has a more urgent special interest, what group needs a bloc, a lobby, more than the black man?
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
