public library
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of public library
First recorded in 1605–15
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
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
Most of these plays can be found at your local public library or favorite bookstore.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 29, 2025
My mother taught me how to read early, walking me to the public library, sitting with me as I sounded out words on a page.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
