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.
Steve Bender was a longtime public health educator focusing on child safety in Volusia County. Steve Bender, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026 An online dashboard tool unveiled last year by state public health officials allows users to look up measles vaccination rates and outbreak risk data for individual schools across the state. Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026 The board directs Idaho’s largest regional public health district. Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 14 Mar. 2026 Los Angeles County public health officials issued a bacteria warning at several beaches as a potentially record-breaking heat wave arrives in Southern California. Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 13 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 15 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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