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.

His investigation into cargo ship crews abandoned at sea was a finalist for the Overseas Press Club's top prize for human interest journalism, as well as a Gerald Loeb Award feature finalist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 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

The News at One has also been an extended to one hour, and will work with Salford-based BBC Breakfast to focus on more human interest stories.

From BBC • May 30, 2024

Berg was “intrigued with the scientific and human interest elements in such a story,” he wrote, and he wanted to learn more about it.

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