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

There is also a sprawling playground and a public library.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

It also has a public library and cultural center.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

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

That the Ptolemies maintained a public library suggests that literacy was relatively widespread in the capital, at least among the Greeks.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro