public interest

IPA/pˈʌblɪk ˈɪntɹɛst/
IPA/pˈʌblɪk ˈɪntɹɛst/

public interest — noun

1. 對社會大眾有益或有好處的狀態；某一件事如果能讓多數人受惠，就符合公共利益

1.名詞B2
釋義

對社會大眾有益或有好處的狀態；某一件事如果能讓多數人受惠，就符合公共利益

例句

The court ruled that releasing the safety report was in the public interest.

in the public interest — prepositional phrase

The government argued that the new traffic law served the public interest by reducing accidents.

collocation: serve the public interest

同義詞
  • common good

    more philosophical/abstract; 'public interest' is more practical and policy-oriented

  • general welfare

    formal, used in legal documents; more focused on well-being than advantage

  • public benefit

    tangible advantage rather than abstract principle

反義詞

文法句型

in the public interest

serve/protect the public interest

用法筆記

Commonly used in legal and political contexts. The phrase 'in the public interest' functions as a predicate adjective or adverbial. Frequently appears in court rulings, government statements, and media debates about whether publishing certain information benefits society.

常見錯誤

❌The new policy is public interest.
✅The new policy is in the public interest.
💡The preposition 'in' is required when describing something as benefiting the public.
❌He acted for public interest.
✅He acted in the public interest.
💡The definite article 'the' is almost always used before 'public interest' in this sense.

2. 公眾有權了解某件事實真相的權利；特別用在媒體報導、法律案件和政府事務領域

2.名詞B2
釋義

公眾有權了解某件事實真相的權利；特別用在媒體報導、法律案件和政府事務領域

例句

The newspaper argued that publishing the politician's financial records was in the public interest.

in the public interest — justifying disclosure

Nala believes there is a strong public interest in knowing how city council funds are spent.

there is a strong public interest in + gerund

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

a matter of public interest

in the public interest to + infinitive

of public interest

用法筆記

This sense is distinct from sense 1 (FOR THE COMMON GOOD): here the focus is on the public's entitlement to information, not on general benefit. Often used in debates about freedom of the press, whistleblowing, and government transparency. Frequently contrasts with 'right to privacy' or 'commercial confidentiality'.

常見錯誤

❌The public interest to the story was very high.
✅Public interest in the story was very high.
💡This confuses sense 2 (right to know) with sense 3 (public attention). Sense 2 collocates with 'in' + gerund, not 'in' + noun.
❌The article was public interest.
✅The article was a matter of public interest.
💡A noun phrase is needed to link the topic to the public's right to know.

3. 許多人對某事物感到興趣或想參與其中的情況；形容一個話題、活動或事件受到廣泛注意

3.名詞B2
釋義

許多人對某事物感到興趣或想參與其中的情況；形容一個話題、活動或事件受到廣泛注意

例句

The murder trial attracted a great deal of public interest across the country.

collocation: attract public interest

Public interest in solar panels surged after the government announced new subsidies.

a surge of public interest in + noun

同義詞
  • popular attention

    less formal; emphasizes visibility rather than genuine curiosity

  • public curiosity

    suggests mild interest rather than serious engagement

  • popularity

    broader; can mean being liked, not just being of interest

反義詞

文法句型

public interest in + noun/gerund

attract/generate/spark public interest

a surge/decline in public interest

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (FOR THE COMMON GOOD) and sense 2 (RIGHT TO KNOW). This sense describes general curiosity or popularity, not moral benefit or a legal entitlement. Typically used with verbs of increase, change, or measurement (grow, decline, surge, wane, peak).

常見錯誤

❌There is a public interest on this topic.
✅There is public interest in this topic.
💡The correct preposition is 'in', not 'on'.
❌Public interest are growing.
✅Public interest is growing.
💡This noun is uncountable and takes a singular verb.