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

China’s public sector is not just talking about humanoid robots; it is spending money to buy them or fund deployments, helping startups get early revenue and proving grounds.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

China’s public sector is not just talking about humanoid robots; it is spending money to buy them or fund deployments, helping startups get early revenue and proving grounds.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

Ruslan says there are other advantages to getting the private sector involved – "we can scale much faster than the public sector".

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Before AI, most transformative technology came out of the public sector or public-private collaboration: the Manhattan Project, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the National Science Foundation.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

The loans will be provided only if Port Moresby implements significant reforms to liberalize trade and investment policies, reduce the public sector, and promote sustainable development of the forestry sector.

From The 1996 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency