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 proposals come as Stormont ministers face pressure from trade unions over public sector pay, with some health workers taking part in strike action in recent months.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Though the government announced last month that it would shorten the work day for public sector employees to ease the electricity crisis, several parts of Caracas have begun experiencing power cuts.

From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 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

“Customers have no shortage of connectivity options. What enterprise and public sector customers need is a connectivity platform that delivers greater reliability,” Shawn Hakl, head of product for AT&T Business, said in a statement.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

As a result, the Philippines is burdened   with a public sector debt equal to more than 100% of GDP.

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