public domain
(especially, US) 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)
Seen in the wild
My teenagers have introduced me to Golden Films, and I am obsessed. They were a company that, in the 90s, made 'mockbuster' knock-offs of Disney movies. While insisting of course that they were just innocently using p…
The feel when u get a synced audiobook of a public domain work, and immediately discover that the narrator is dropping and adding words within the first paragraph
I think Batman and superman, at least their original versions, become public domain in the next decade or so. Feels like a long time, but the first iron Man movie was like 20 years ago, so it will be her before we kno…
And then people say that because it's Public Domain it can't be profitable because Jack Valenti lives in them and they don't know it.
looks like its in the public domain! You'll get a wide range in terms of budget for something like that! Hope you find a good version if you don't end up trying to have it produced!
Definitions
(especially, US) 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).
Comments
(also, attributively) Often preceded by in the.
“My teenagers have introduced me to Golden Films, and I am obsessed. They were a company that, in the 90s, made 'mockbuster' knock-offs of Disney movies. While insisting of course that they were just innocently using public domain IP. 🧵”
— Bluesky· May 2026“The feel when u get a synced audiobook of a public domain work, and immediately discover that the narrator is dropping and adding words within the first paragraph”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I think Batman and superman, at least their original versions, become public domain in the next decade or so. Feels like a long time, but the first iron Man movie was like 20 years ago, so it will be her before we know it”
— Bluesky· May 2026“And then people say that because it's Public Domain it can't be profitable because Jack Valenti lives in them and they don't know it.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“looks like its in the public domain! You'll get a wide range in terms of budget for something like that! Hope you find a good version if you don't end up trying to have it produced!”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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(US, Philippines) The right of a government over the private property within its jurisdiction. Usually invoked to compel land owners to sell their property in preparation for a major construction project such as a freeway.
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(British, Irish) an area of land in the United Kingdom or Ireland that is open to the public at all times and until the 18th century would have been land that was free for anybody to graze their animals on.
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(historical) In feudalism, the legal interest or rights of a lord or superior in an estate in land held in fee, as opposed to the vassal's or tenant's interest.