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.
Kennedy was pressed repeatedly on the mixed message he’s delivered on vaccines, which public health experts have said are hampering efforts to contain a growing measles outbreak now in at least 11 states. Amanda Seitz, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025 Recalls are typically classified by severity, and while not all involve immediate danger, they are carried out as a precaution to protect public health. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025 Kennedy has since delivered a mixed message on vaccines that public health experts have said are hampering efforts to contain a measles outbreak now in at least 11 states. Amanda Seitz, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025 The researchers started by examining public health data and found that hevin levels were decreased in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease compared to healthy people of the same age. Paul McClure 14, New Atlas, 14 May 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Public health.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20health. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!