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
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.
While all three of Prince William and Princess Kate’s children — Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 — have inherited their father’s love of soccer, Charlotte, in particular, has shown a special interest in England’s women’s team, the Lionesses. Janine Henni, People.com, 23 July 2025 Your best bet is to peruse the employee handbook, taking special interest in the ‘Codes of Conduct’ section. Elizabeth Pearson, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025 Undoubtedly, special interest advocates are gearing up, again, to eliminate the program in the 2026 session. Karl W. Bickel, Baltimore Sun, 9 July 2025 The Texas Sports Betting Alliance, a special interest group backed by all the state’s major professional sports organizations, hired dozens of lobbyists in the 2023 legislative session to advance such a proposal. Ryan Hopper, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for special interest

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Special interest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/special%20interest. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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