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.
Where lobbying was done by special interest groups, were any efforts made to seek out counter-balancing sources or views and were those also taken into consideration? Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025 The benefit to New Yorkers are candidates who are not betrothed to special interests and the players have a level playing field (again, with that one exception). New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2025 The race is technically nonpartisan but has turned into a de facto partisan contest with millions of dollars flooding in from billionaire donors and outside special interest groups. Barnini Chakraborty, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Mar. 2025 Nigeria and Ukraine are of special interest to the U.S. due to their geographic locations, their importance in terms of geopolitical conflicts, and their vast commodity resources. Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes, 28 Feb. 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 19 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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