public company

American  

noun

British.

1. a company that has more than 50 shareholders and whose shares are offered for public subscription.

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public company British  

noun

1. a limited company whose shares may be purchased by the public and traded freely on the open market and whose share capital is not less than a statutory minimum; public limited company Compare private company

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public company Cultural  

1. A company that sells shares in itself to the public to raise capital. When a previously privately owned company offers shares, it is said to “go public.”

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Example Sentences

The defense contractor said it plans to spin off its missile business into a separate public company.

From Barron's

In 2015, there were 11 companies with co-CEOs in the Russell 3000 group of the biggest public companies in the US, while in 2024, this had more than doubled to 24, according to an analysis by public company intelligence firm MyLogIQ.

From BBC

The latest breakup occurred in November, with DuPont spinning off Qnity Electronics Q -0.91%decrease; red down pointing triangle to become a separate public company.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This partnership combines journalistic insight with real-time market probabilities—including the most-watched business news like public company earnings reports—to create a truly comprehensive news experience for readers,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Insiders own the other 89% through a holding company called Andersen Aggregator and have 99% of the voting rights in Andersen Group, the public company.

From The Wall Street Journal