public-spirited

American  

[puhb-lik-spir-i-tid] / ˈpʌb lɪkˈspɪr ɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. having or showing an unselfish interest in the public welfare.

   a public-spirited citizen.

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public-spirited British  

adjective

1. having or showing active interest in public welfare or the good of the community

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Other Word Forms

• public-spiritedness noun

Etymology

Origin of public-spirited

First recorded in 1640–50

Example Sentences

Instead of manipulating government for their own narrow interests, the rich can add a distinctively independent-minded, public-spirited and efficacious set of voices to the national debate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

Profiles of Beckstrom describe her as a caring, public-spirited young woman who wanted to make a difference and serve her country.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025

There are weekly chats where people discuss whichever modest steps they took that week to prep, and many posts, far from fetishizing individual survival, are public-spirited.

From Slate • Mar. 28, 2022

And yet, as magnificent as Wells the public-spirited visionary could be, the private man remains more problematic.

From Washington Post • Nov. 2, 2021

And if marriage was not achieved, there were alternative roles: teacher, librarian, or . . . well, something intelligent and public-spirited.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison