public company

American  

noun

British.

1. a company that has more than 50 shareholders and whose shares are offered for public subscription.

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public company British  

noun

1. a limited company whose shares may be purchased by the public and traded freely on the open market and whose share capital is not less than a statutory minimum; public limited company Compare private company

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public company Cultural  

1. A company that sells shares in itself to the public to raise capital. When a previously privately owned company offers shares, it is said to “go public.”

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Example Sentences

It is days old as a public company, and according to its IPO filings, the company lost $4.9 billion in 2025.

From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026

SpaceX’s market capitalization reached $2.8 trillion on Tuesday, eclipsing e-commerce giant Amazon, and made SpaceX the fifth largest public company.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

On its third day as a public company, its market value is poised to overtake that of Amazon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

SpaceX is on the cusp of becoming a public company, more than 24 years after Elon Musk founded the rocket maker.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026

At the priory, there is a powerful steam engine, belonging to Mr. Benson; and on the road to Birmingham is a brewery, belonging to a public company.

From A Description of Modern Birmingham Whereunto Are Annexed Observations Made during an Excursion Round the Town, in the Summer of 1818, Including Warwick and Leamington by Pye, Charles