public domain
noun
1
: land owned directly by the government
2
: the realm embracing property rights that belong to the community at large, are unprotected by copyright or patent, and are subject to appropriation by anyone
Examples of public domain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The previous owner would retain the rights to Life’s photography and content going back to the 1930s, as public domain laws dictate.
—
Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2024
A lot of public domain data is antiquated—in the US, for example, copyright protection usually lasts over 70 years from the death of the author—so this type of dataset won’t be able to ground an AI model in current affairs or, say, how to spin up a blog post using current slang.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024
Social media platforms are not considered public domain, and the use of your photos could also be limited by copyright laws or the platform’s terms and conditions.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
With several asterisks, qualification, and caveats, Mickey Mouse in his earliest form will be the leader of the band of characters, films, and books that will become public domain as the year turns to 2024.
—Andrew Dalton, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Dec. 2023
The World Wide Web was made public domain only a few months after MOSAIC was released.
—David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 17 May 2023
Winnie-the-Pooh also received the slasher treatment in last year's Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey after the character entered public domain.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 2 Jan. 2024
Namely, only the 1928 version of the character will become public domain, while later versions remain protected.
—Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 2023
The show’s fondness for the latter is particularly ironic given how many Christians hated Glee — but then again, public domain!
—Vulture, 19 Dec. 2023
Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2024
A lot of public domain data is antiquated—in the US, for example, copyright protection usually lasts over 70 years from the death of the author—so this type of dataset won’t be able to ground an AI model in current affairs or, say, how to spin up a blog post using current slang.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024
Social media platforms are not considered public domain, and the use of your photos could also be limited by copyright laws or the platform’s terms and conditions.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024
With several asterisks, qualification, and caveats, Mickey Mouse in his earliest form will be the leader of the band of characters, films, and books that will become public domain as the year turns to 2024.
—Andrew Dalton, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Dec. 2023
The World Wide Web was made public domain only a few months after MOSAIC was released.
—David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 17 May 2023
Winnie-the-Pooh also received the slasher treatment in last year's Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey after the character entered public domain.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 2 Jan. 2024
Namely, only the 1928 version of the character will become public domain, while later versions remain protected.
—Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 2023
The show’s fondness for the latter is particularly ironic given how many Christians hated Glee — but then again, public domain!
—Vulture, 19 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'public domain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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Cite this Entry
“Public domain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20domain. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Legal Definition
public domain
noun
public do·main
-dō-ˈmān
1
: land owned directly by the government
2
: the realm or status of property rights that belong to the community at large, are unprotected by copyright or patent, and are subject to appropriation by anyone
More from Merriam-Webster on public domain
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about public domain
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