public health

noun

: the art and science dealing with the protection and improvement of community health by organized community effort and including preventive medicine and sanitary and social science

Examples of public health in a Sentence

a disease that poses a serious threat to public health She got her degree in public health. Public health officials warned of an influenza outbreak.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
New Yorkers expect strong protections for communities, the environment, and public health. Walter Mosely, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2026 Others told legislators that whole-plant kratom is not the same as its synthetic derivatives, which are more potent and have been linked to overdose deaths, leading the Food and Drug Administration to call it a public health threat. Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026 But the farm bill, now with the Senate Agriculture Committee, has highlighted the reality that politicians trying to cater to the powerful agriculture industry risk losing the support of MAHA while running afoul of public health goals. Sarah Todd, STAT, 20 Mar. 2026 Rebuilding trust in vaccines and public health will take time and will require consistent, transparent communication and strong engagement between clinicians and families. Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for public health

Word History

First Known Use

1617, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of public health was in 1617

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Cite this Entry

“Public health.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20health. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.

Medical Definition

public health

noun
pub·​lic health ˌpəb-lik- How to pronounce public health (audio)
: the art and science dealing with the protection and improvement of community health by organized community effort and including preventive medicine and sanitary and social science

More from Merriam-Webster on public health

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