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

She has emphasized to executives and board directors the need for OpenAI to improve its internal controls, cautioning that the company isn’t yet ready to meet the rigorous reporting standards required of a public company.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

To put that implied quarterly spending into perspective, Tesla has spent more than $7.5 billion in annual capex just three times in its history as a public company.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

As part of the settlement, Feldman neither admitted nor denied the SEC’s allegations, and unlike some of his co-defendants, he was not barred from serving as an officer of a public company for five years.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

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

This union of interest and management in the same persons gives a private company an unquestionable advantage over a public company.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 7 "Columbus" to "Condottiere" by Various