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

Workplace attendance for the public sector, which employs most of the workforce, remains capped at 50%.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 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

Also pressing are calls to act on public sector pay, AI regulation, youth employment, business energy costs, mental health provision, migration, special educational needs and NHS staffing.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Unemployment is falling and   government budget surpluses are being partially devoted to reducing   the large public sector debt.

From The 2001 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency