public school

American  

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.

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public school British  

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

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Other Word Forms

• public-school adjective

Etymology

Origin of public school

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

Imagine a Buddhist, Jewish, or Muslim parent who enrolls their child in public school and objects to this display.

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026

In 1980, justices struck down a law virtually identical to Texas’, forbidding states from placing the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026

In the big picture, said Stanford’s Dee, “we see continued evidence that the families that left the public school system during the pandemic haven’t really returned.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

And the third divides his time between learning at home and taking classes at the local public school, where he plays on the football team.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Like Flom, Bickel had gone to public school in New York and then to City College.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell