public school

American

noun

(in the U.S.) a school that is maintained at public expense for the education of the children of a community or district and that constitutes a part of a system of free public education commonly including primary and secondary schools.
(in England) any of a number of endowed secondary boarding schools that prepare students chiefly for the universities or for public service.

public school British

noun

(in England and Wales) a private independent fee-paying secondary school
(in the US) any school that is part of a free local educational system
in certin Canadian provinces, a public elementray school as distinguished from a separate school

"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

Other Word Forms

public-school adjective

Etymology

Origin of public school

First recorded in 1570–80

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.

He moved from heading the fourth-largest K-12 public school system in the country to the second largest.

From Los Angeles Times

Then the state’s rollout of public school transitional kindergarten made enrolling 4-year-olds more difficult.

From Los Angeles Times

My mom liked being near the ocean, and the public schools there were good.

From The Wall Street Journal

In Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu closed all public schools and municipal buildings on Monday.

From Barron's

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said that public schools would be closed on Monday, while some school districts in Maryland and Delaware also had canceled classes.

From The Wall Street Journal

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