public land

noun

: land owned by a government
specifically : that part of the U.S. public domain subject to sale or disposal under the homestead laws

Examples of public land in a Sentence

the management of public lands The government will auction off 20 parcels of public land.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The trees that were cut down on Remington Avenue were on public land, not private property. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026 Ranchers contend that public lands grazing has ecological benefits, such as preventing nearby private lands from being sold off and paved over. Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 12 Jan. 2026 Save the Dunes previously fought a similar legal fight in Long Beach, setting a precedent and inspiring a state law that locks in where the high water mark is calculated to indicate the boundary between private and public land. Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 10 Jan. 2026 Hunt 0234 is valid on private and public lands in the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula, but private only in the southern Lower Peninsula, as well as Fort Custer military lands, with permission. Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for public land

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of public land was in 1789

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Public land.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20land. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.

Legal Definition

public land

noun
: land owned by a government
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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