public spending

British

noun

expenditure by central government, local authorities, and public enterprises

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hopes had been high that the eurozone's traditional growth engine would sputter back to life in 2026 after years of stagnation, driven by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's public spending blitz.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

A subdued economy makes the trade-offs and choices over public spending more difficult.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Despite some volatility, the indicator has generally been trending up since mid-2025 as the government increases public spending in a bid to revive Europe's struggling biggest economy.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Her nephew Malpica was elevated to the roles of national treasurer and finance director of the state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, or PdVSA, giving him control of a vast portfolio of public spending.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Last year the leaders of private enterprise pleaded for a sudden curtailment of public spending, and said they would take up the slack.

From The Fireside Chats of Franklin Delano Roosevelt by Roosevelt, Franklin Delano

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023