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
Movies that are now public domain include Oscar Best Picture winners All Quiet on the Western Front and Cimarron, King of Jazz (which was Bing Crosby’s first movie), Free and Easy (which has Buster Keaton’s first movie role) and Anna Christie (Great Garbo’s first talkie).
—
Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 2 Jan. 2026
And public domain isn't just good news for those who want to create art, but also for those who simply want to consume it.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 26 Dec. 2025
These creators — many of whom sell their own workbooks and classes on how to game the KDP system — take public domain classic literature and use AI to add summaries and discussion questions before relisting them on the site with a new cover.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
The reason why The Curse of Frankenstein has an original story is more litigious than creative: Shelley’s book was public domain, but Universal’s cinematic (and arguably definitive) version of the character was copyrighted.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for public domain
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.
Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 2 Jan. 2026
And public domain isn't just good news for those who want to create art, but also for those who simply want to consume it.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 26 Dec. 2025
These creators — many of whom sell their own workbooks and classes on how to game the KDP system — take public domain classic literature and use AI to add summaries and discussion questions before relisting them on the site with a new cover.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
The reason why The Curse of Frankenstein has an original story is more litigious than creative: Shelley’s book was public domain, but Universal’s cinematic (and arguably definitive) version of the character was copyrighted.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for public domain
Cite this Entry
“Public domain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20domain. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share