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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
If a song is completely created using AI, then that track is public domain, Joseph Fishman, a Vanderbilt law professor specializing in intellectual property, told Fortune.
—
Rachel Ventresca, Fortune, 6 June 2024
Currently, Microsoft Teams only supports official Unicode emoji — the standardized array of public domain emoji supported by most smartphones and social media platforms.
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Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 21 May 2024
Spring is blooming Flowers are blooming just in time for National Walk to Work Day (April 5) (Credit: US Army photo, Rachel Larue, public domain, via Flickr Creative Commons).
—
Bob Hirshon, Discover Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for public domain ![](/dist-cross-dungarees/2024-06-13--14-08-27-z5loc/images/svg/redesign/arrow-right-exemplar.svg)
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 17 Jun. 2024.
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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