state university
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of state university
An Americanism dating back to 1825–35
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.
Not just shame but gross unfitness for serving in a role at a state university.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
Otherwise they send their child to a cheaper state university.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
Johns Hopkins offered $16,000 more, making the cost less than that of a state university in New York, where the family lives.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026
Perhaps not surprisingly, in a city dominated by a state university, nearly all were college football games.
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2025
“I wanted to go to the state university but we couldn’t afford it. My father had to send me to a small denominational college.”
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
