public health

Definition of public health

: 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 This change is based on interviews with multiple public health officials and epidemiologists, as well as in line with CDC guidelines on reporting. — Jay R. Jordan, Houston Chronicle, "Houston coronavirus updates: What you need to know for Sept. 11," 11 Sep. 2020 Environmental, agricultural and public health officials recognize the problem could be growing. — Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, "Scrub Hub: What are drainage tiles and why are they an environmental issue?," 9 Sep. 2020 Nonprofit and public health care service organizations in Garland have until the end of next month to apply for grant programs designed to help procure supplies or improve facilities, the city said Tuesday. — Patrick Strickland, Dallas News, "Health care groups in Garland can now apply for these grants," 9 Sep. 2020 Lesley Bruinton, system spokeswoman, said school officials this week are expected to review a plan to begin returning students to classes, after consulting with medical and public health experts. — William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, "School systems moving to in-person classes, some earlier than expected," 6 Sep. 2020 But Morgan said migrant minors can also pose a public health risk. — Camilo Montoya-galvez, CBS News, "U.S.-Mexico border crossings continue to rise, with 50,000 arrests made amid pandemic restrictions," 4 Sep. 2020 The legislation suggests creating six subcommittees: education, legislative process, public health and environmental policy, economic and workforce development, land-use and housing policy, and personal and public safety. — Ana Faguy, baltimoresun.com, "Howard County Council to introduce bills to end ICE contract, create racial task force following summer protests," 2 Sep. 2020 Right now, medical and public health workers are taking that approach to treat life as precious, diligently working to prevent the virus from getting worse. — Star Tribune, "Readers Write: COVID-19, sports and protest, State Fair in absentia," 2 Sep. 2020 The twin economic and public health crises facing the U.S. have upended how Joe Biden’s and President Trump’s senior aides are planning for the next four years. — Andrew Restuccia, WSJ, "Biden, Trump Teams Plan for Midcrisis Transition," 1 Sep. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'public health.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

14 Sep 2020

Cite this Entry

“Public health.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20health. Accessed 25 Sep. 2020.

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More Definitions for public health

public health

noun

English Language Learners Definition of public health

: the health of people in general

US : the science of caring for the people of a community by giving them basic health care and health information, improving living conditions, etc.

See the full definition for public health in the English Language Learners Dictionary

public health

noun

pub·lic health | \ ˌpəb-lik-

Medical Definition of public health

: 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