public sector

American  

noun

1. the area of the nation's affairs under governmental rather than private control.

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public sector British  

noun

1. the part of an economy that consists of state-owned institutions, including nationalized industries and services provided by local authorities Compare private sector

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public sector Cultural  

1. That part of the economy controlled by the government. (Compare private sector.)

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Etymology

Origin of public sector

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

public sector

The first minister's speech focussed on reform of the public sector to save money, cut bureaucracy, and improve how services are delivered.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Pay growth for the public sector was 6.1%, due to the timing of the latest NHS pay awards, while in the private sector it dipped to 2.8%.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Singapore has the largest public sector deployment, called Project Wolbachia which started in 2016 and now releases more than 10 million every week.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

Canada’s public sector, which includes education services, health care and social assistance, also continued to expand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Glorioso Islands   no economic activity Greece   Greece has a capitalist economy with the public sector   accounting for about 40% of GDP and with per capita GDP 70% of the   leading euro-zone economies.

From The 2005 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency