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.
Tensions over public health became especially high during the state's COVID lockdowns, which critics lambasted as too long and too strict. Kate Wells, NPR, 2 June 2026 This is every summer, right now, for the 200,000 people who live here — a public health emergency that is worsening with the global climate crisis and exacerbated even further by an onslaught of irresponsible development. Daniela Flores, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026 Unauthorized entry into the sewers is a potential crime, though there have been no immediate arrests or evidence of a public health threat, officials said. David K. Li, NBC news, 2 June 2026 Some public health specialists have suggested that Bundibugyo may be slightly less deadly than other Ebola strains. Will Gretsky, ABC News, 1 June 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 5 Jun. 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

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