public sector

American  

noun

1. the area of the nation's affairs under governmental rather than private control.

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public sector British  

noun

1. the part of an economy that consists of state-owned institutions, including nationalized industries and services provided by local authorities Compare private sector

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public sector Cultural  

1. That part of the economy controlled by the government. (Compare private sector.)

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Etymology

Origin of public sector

First recorded in 1950–55

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

public sector

County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s district director for three years, and has said that she would leverage her years of experience in the public sector to advocate for the district in City Hall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

Economists think the ECI is the best measure of trends in labor compensation because it includes the public sector, makes adjustments for the mix of jobs and is better for measuring pay changes with industries.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

Should the funds be issued to the private sector as loans, these would be viewed as financial assets for the public sector, netting off the financial liability from increased government borrowing, Skarica says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

In Greece the protests were initially about workplace safety and public sector wages.

From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026

The public sector fiscal deficit   exceeds 6% of GDP - due in large part to high interest payments,   which accounted for about 37% of central government spending in   2004.

From The 2006 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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