public works

American  

plural noun

1. structures, as roads, dams, or post offices, paid for by government funds for public use.

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public works British  

plural noun

1. engineering projects and other constructions, financed and undertaken by a government for the community

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public works Cultural  

1. Public facilities and improvements financed by the government for the public good. Public works include hospitals, bridges, highways, and dams. These projects may be funded by local, state, or federal appropriations. (See also pork-barrel legislation.)

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Etymology

Origin of public works

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

public works

That meant governments had to compensate people if public works like roads and aerodromes affected the value of property.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

It’s critical, Meaney suggested, for city leaders to push for charter reform that puts infrastructure authority under a newly empowered public works director.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2026

Two blocks of municipal land, including the village office, council chambers, public works facilities, and a recreation center, sit directly above a former mine site.

From Science Daily ● May 6, 2026

Instead, firefighters and public works employees were covering the site inch by inch with soil dredged from a nearby site.

From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026

Cities differ from villages in their monumental public works, palaces of rulers, accumulation of capital from tribute or taxes, and concentration of people other than food producers.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond