special interest

noun

: a person or group seeking to influence legislative or government policy to further often narrowly defined interests
especially : lobby

Examples of special interest in a Sentence

promised that as governor he would never be beholden to special interests
Recent Examples on the Web Carol Roark is an archivist, historian, and author with a special interest in architectural and photographic history who has written several books on Fort Worth history. Carol Roark, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Apr. 2024 The point of at least part of this work, it’s understood in some quarters, is to help contribute to special interest publications, essentially Condé Nast’s versions of Time magazine’s one-off magazine on the future of medicine or an Us tribute to Matthew Perry or the royals. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024 Joseph Lieberman, four-term U.S. senator from Connecticut, was noteworthy for two reasons, one of special interest to this magazine, the other of interest to the nation. The Editors, National Review, 28 Mar. 2024 Javar took a special interest in styling in high school and knew that a creative career was his life path. Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 1 Apr. 2024 Even some Republicans worried the measure would set a dangerous precedent, encouraging special interests to run to the General Assembly when facing legal challenges. The Indianapolis Star, 15 Mar. 2024 Engagement: While every child has their own individual hobbies, autistic kids’ interests are often restricted to particular topics (called special interests). Laura Lu, Ms, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024 That often means suppressing natural autistic tendencies like stimming and editing oneself in conversations to avoid, say, speaking too forcefully or talking at length about a special interest. Aj Willingham, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Its strictures should have only slight impact on overall Chinese trade, but the measure aims at a sector of China’s economy that is of special interest to President Xi Jinping and his colleagues in the Forbidden City. Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'special interest.' 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

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of special interest was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near special interest

Cite this Entry

“Special interest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/special%20interest. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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