public school

noun

1. (in the U.S.) a school that is maintained at public expense for the education of the children of a community or district and that constitutes a part of a system of free public education commonly including primary and secondary schools.

2. (in England) any of a number of endowed secondary boarding schools that prepare students chiefly for the universities or for public service.

public school

noun

1. (in England and Wales) a private independent fee-paying secondary school

2. (in the US) any school that is part of a free local educational system

3. in certin Canadian provinces, a public elementray school as distinguished from a separate school

Other Word Forms

• public-school adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of public school¹

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

Undocumented migrants can access health services in Chile, and enroll their children in public schools.

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“When families are afraid to be seen, or when they cannot afford to remain in their communities, they are less likely to enroll, reenroll, or stay in public schools.”

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Department of Education alleging that Berkeley public schools ignored reports of bullying and harassment of Jewish students on the basis of their ethnicity, shared ancestry and national origin.

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Then the fun began — dunks, shot attempts from well beyond NBA three-point range and fans begging for autographs from teenagers at a public school.

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The central government has ordered more than 40 federal colleges to close and public schools in some states have been shut.

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