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public domain
noun
1
: land owned directly by the government
2
: the realm embracing property rights that belong to the community at large, are unprotected by copyright or patent, and are subject to appropriation by anyone
Examples of public domain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Skymaster was largely forgotten, at least in the official and public domain, creating a chasm of silence for the victims’ families.
—Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Jan. 2025
Around the same time, DiCaprio began developing his own project around the Holmes case without the rights to Larson's book, instead drawing from public domain material with writers Aaron and Matthew Benay.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2025
With Stoker’s novel having entered public domain by this time, Herzog changed the lead character’s name to Dracula from the first film’s Count Orlok, who had been brought to life by actor Max Schreck.
—Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Jan. 2025
The actress recently made her directorial debut as part of Baena's public domain anthology Cinema Toast, which premiered on Showtime in 2021.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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Cite this Entry
“Public domain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20domain. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
Legal Definition
public domain
noun
public do·main
-dō-ˈmān
1
: land owned directly by the government
2
: the realm or status of property rights that belong to the community at large, are unprotected by copyright or patent, and are subject to appropriation by anyone
More from Merriam-Webster on public domain
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about public domain
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