public school

noun

1
: an endowed secondary boarding school in Great Britain offering a classical curriculum and preparation for the universities or public service
2
: a free tax-supported school controlled by a local governmental authority

Examples of public school in a Sentence

Both of their sons attend public school.
Recent Examples on the Web Imagine a politician stepping up to a podium and promising that voters will not pay more than 7 percent of their income for their kid to go to public school. Elliot Haspel, The Atlantic, 20 Mar. 2024 Former Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Carolyn Warner established the foundation to combat negative stereotypes of public schools by instead spotlighting their successes. Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2024 The Democratic lawmakers rebuked Republican leaders for keeping tight caps on funding for public schools. Rory Linnane, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024 Covid closures had brought new attention to the role of public schools; the right-wing group Moms for Liberty was just starting to agitate against classroom discussions of race, gender, and sexuality. Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 San Diego Unified named Clay Elementary at its founding in 1957, three years after Brown v. Board of Education paved the way for the gradual desegregation of public schools. Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 Farm boys from Idaho had not been forced to sue for the right to attend public schools and universities. Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 These drills have taken place at 95% of U.S. public schools as of the 2015-16 school year, according to the Education Department’s National Center for Education statistics. Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 The bill requires public school districts' health curriculum for grades 6 and up to include a prenatal development video. Katarina Sostaric, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'public school.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of public school was in 1548

Dictionary Entries Near public school

Cite this Entry

“Public school.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20school. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

public school

noun
1
: a British private school that gives a liberal education and prepares students for the universities
2
: an elementary or secondary school supported by taxes and operated by a local government
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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