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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
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. government agency responsible for public health research, has said the counterfeit drug trade as a whole could be worth as much as $431 billion annually, citing analysts.
—Patrick Wingrove, USA TODAY, 5 Sep. 2024
That extra family support is crucial to ameliorating parental stress, which U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has declared an urgent public health issue.
—Ali Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Sep. 2024
As Los Angeles County enters the peak of a blistering heat wave this week, public health officials are warning residents to avoid swimming at several beaches where ocean bacteria levels have become potentially unsafe.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024
However, research is still being done to understand what healthcare providers and public health experts can do to reduce racial disparities in heart health among Black and Indigenous communities.12
Risk Factors
Researchers have identified many risk factors for heart disease.
—Angela Ryan Lee, Health, 1 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for public health
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'public health.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1617, in the meaning defined above
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 17 Sep. 2024.
Medical Definition
public health
noun
pub·lic health
ˌpəb-lik-
: 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
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about public health
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