public school

American  

noun

public schools plural

1. (in the U.S.) a school that is maintained at public expense for the education of the children of a community or district and that constitutes a part of a system of free public education commonly including primary and secondary schools.

2. (in England) any of a number of endowed secondary boarding schools that prepare students chiefly for the universities or for public service.

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public school British  

noun

1. (in England and Wales) a private independent fee-paying secondary school

2. (in the US) any school that is part of a free local educational system

3. in certin Canadian provinces, a public elementray school as distinguished from a separate school

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• public-school
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• public schools
  plural

Etymology

Origin of public school

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

public school

Even the police chief of the public school system weighed in.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

A UC Office of the President report prepared for the regents found that 98% of California’s more than 2 million public school students have access to the full UC-required curriculum.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

In the U.S., elite youth soccer isn’t played through public school teams like football or basketball.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

It doesn’t force a single family to leave a public school.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

This school, Thomas Jefferson High, was another public school, a sprawling brick compound.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana