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

Public unions quickly grew and by the 1970s, the public sector was the most unionized sector.

From The Wall Street Journal

About a third of private sector employees and a tenth of public sector workers use a salary sacrifice scheme for their pension savings.

From BBC

A third of private sector employees and a tenth of public sector workers use a salary sacrifice scheme for their pension savings.

From BBC

In May 2025, the government announced pay rises for a number of public sector workers, including:

From BBC

France’s Mistral AI and Germany’s SAP have teamed up to launch a sovereign AI platform to protect European data in the public sector and regulated industries.

From The Wall Street Journal