public library

American  

noun

1. a nonprofit library established for the use of the general public and maintained chiefly by public funds.

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Etymology

Origin of public library

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

In 1960, he was arrested with seven other students after a silent demonstration in a whites-only public library, which led to the desegregation of the library.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

Early last summer I attended a discussion about affordable housing at the public library where a woman declared that “maybe the American dream should be renting.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

I turned onto 48th Street at Budlong Avenue and was stunned to see a grand public library, a striking mix of Prairie and Italian Revival architecture.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

She married, had children and for many years worked as a librarian in a public library in upstate New York.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 19, 2025

“The A & P? The one on the same block where the Aguilar public library is? No kidding?”

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez