public-service corporation

American  

[puhb-lik-sur-vis] / ˈpʌb lɪkˈsɜr vɪs /

noun

1. a private or quasi-private corporation chartered to provide an essential commodity or service to the public.

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public-service corporation British  

noun

1. a private corporation that provides services to the community, such as telephone service, public transport

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Etymology

Origin of public-service corporation

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

The thing to do is to pass a blanket bill, providing that any public-service corporation whose charter antedates a certain period may extend its line within certain limits and under certain conditions, and so on.

From The Moneychangers by Sinclair, Upton