Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

public domain

/ˌpʌblɪk doʊˈmeɪn/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.29 in modern English

Syllables: pub-lic do-main
IPA: /ˌpʌblɪk doʊˈmeɪn/

21

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

3

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Often preceded by in the.

Uncountable

noun

Often preceded by in the.

Uncountable

noun

Often preceded by in the.

Uncountable

noun

Land regarded as owned by the public, and not subject to a land patent or other forms of private ownership (for example, unowned prairie in the southwestern and western United States).

American usage; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"As the copyright in this book has lapsed, it is now in the public domain."
"Any regime applied to the public domain should ensure such free use. Yet, the ‘public domainness’ does not guarantee as such a freedom to access to the resources it contains. Access to a public domain work will depend on many factors."
"Very little information about the treaty is in the public domain."

Etymology

From public (“able to be seen or known by everyone”) + domain (“field or sphere of activity, expertise, or influence”).

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌpʌblɪk doʊˈmeɪn/
British English: /ˌpʌblɪk də(ʊ)ˈmeɪn/

Usage

Uncountable
American usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Law.

Phrases

Public Domain Day public domainness public property

Frequently Paired Words

public property 🅮

Rhymes With

again main pain campaign train brain explain remain gain plane rain chain

Questions

How do you pronounce public domain?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌpʌblɪk doʊˈmeɪn/.
What does public domain mean?: Often preceded by in the.
Where does public domain come from?: From public (“able to be seen or known by everyone”) + domain (“field or sphere of activity, expertise, or influence”).

How to pronounce public domain

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “public domain”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌpʌblɪk doʊˈmeɪn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “public domain”.
Repeat and practice — Say “public domain” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.