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.
Childhood obesity is one of the most pervasive public health challenges of the 21st century. Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024 Caveat: The city's public health department wants to take time to educate consumers before enforcement gets underway, possibly in 2026, bill co-sponsor Councilmember Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez tells us. Esteban L. Hernandez, Axios, 17 Dec. 2024 This would not only save lives and improve public health but also save hundreds of billions of dollars annually for employers and government healthcare programs. Robert Pearl, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024 President Joe Biden has commuted the sentence of a former Indiana health care executive who led a $19.4 million fraud scheme involving nursing homes owned by Marion County's public health system. Tony Cook, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Dec. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near public health

Cite this Entry

“Public health.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20health. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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
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