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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

public sector

Between 2020 and 2023 Chowdhury had eight overlapping public sector jobs.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

Brendan O'Brien divisional organiser of SIPTU, which represents public sector health and administration workers, previously said the "goodwill" of workers was a large part of what kept public services going.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

He said the strike has now been "100 percent" followed by teachers in the public sector.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

Cloudera operates in nearly 100 countries, serving clients across financial services, telecommunications, healthcare and life sciences, oil and gas, and the public sector.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

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

From The 2003 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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