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

"We have seen a growing public sector during the pandemic, that has brought with it additional costs, and in the same time period wages have increased," she said.

From BBC • May 24, 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

In 1991-93 the government made solid progress on administrative reforms such as liberalizing exchange and interest rates, but resisted implementing major structural reforms like streamlining the public sector.

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