human interest

American

noun

a quality of a story or report, as in a newspaper or on a newscast, that engages attention and sympathy by enabling one to identify readily with the people, problems, and situations described.

human interest British

noun

(in a newspaper story, news broadcasting, etc) reference to individuals and their emotions

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

human-interest

adjective

Etymology

Origin of human interest

First recorded in 1775–80

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.

See Examples For:

human interest

She previously worked as a reporting intern at the New Hampshire Union Leader, covering local politics, state funding and human interest stories.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

Annie enjoys covering trends in human interest, LGBTQ+ issues and climate policy.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2025

It’s just really hard because in some ways these are both human interest stories and legal stories.

From Slate ● Dec. 31, 2024

Thankfully, this is also true for those of us who enjoy a well-told saga about a more universal human interest: music.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2024

You do not engage the attention of the reader unless your story has basic human interest elements.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023