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

Parents can send their children to any public school, as long as it has room and they provide transportation.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

He listed their attributes—NFL alums, college stars, state titles—and then pointed out Edison High, an inner-city public school whose coach at the time boasted of negotiating multimillion-dollar deals, where he planned to enroll.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

California lawmakers enacted a law in 2020 that led to an unprecedented wave of litigation across nearly 1,000 public school districts.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

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 public school we were told to hide under our desks, or duck on the lawn and cover ourselves with our jackets, or hide along a wall with our hands over our heads.

From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen