Synonyms

public library

American

noun

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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

public libraries

plural

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.

See Examples For:

public library

The statement added that KN95 masks will be distributed for free at public library branches around the city.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Nisenbaum produced a 70-foot-long mural to hang in the Chicago public library branch on site.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

There is also a sprawling playground and a public library.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 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

“Our public library is three blocks away on Las Flores. You can walk there.”

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023