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

It also plans to modernize its technology strategy and accelerate profitable growth as a separate public company.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Fiscal 2026 marked the company’s first year with a positive net income as a public company, generating $54.4 million in free cash flow, a sizable figure compared with its current $480 million market capitalization.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

The fast-entry rule would shorten the time it takes for a newly public company to make the Nasdaq-100 roster to less than a month.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

Thanks to the astronomical demand for its chips prompted by the global AI boom, Nvidia generates more profit than almost any other public company on the planet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

At the priory, there is a powerful steam engine, belonging to Mr. Benson; and on the road to Birmingham is a brewery, belonging to a public company.

From A Description of Modern Birmingham Whereunto Are Annexed Observations Made during an Excursion Round the Town, in the Summer of 1818, Including Warwick and Leamington by Pye, Charles