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.
Why powerful labor unions, elected officials and special interest groups backed Eric Swalwell for govenor despite rumors about past inappropriate behavior.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
"There can be a breakdown of communication," Dr Pippa Bowes, an urgent care doctor in Southampton with a special interest in acute dermatology, explains.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
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 • Feb. 10, 2026
All of which may be of special interest to the thousands of Americans who are now turning 65 every day, during the era known as “Peak 65.”
From MarketWatch • Feb. 5, 2026
“You’re important, and dangerous. Two gods have taken a special interest in you since you arrived, so I can’t believe you’d work against Olympus... or Rome.”
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
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.
