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

Over the years Texas sold all its public lands cheaply and now there are none left in the state— and no free hunting, either. — Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 23 July 2026

But the sweeping power of the Antiquities Act has long been a focus of conservatives who disagree with the federal government’s control over so much public land in the West. — Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, 15 July 2026

Trump reduced the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah by about 90% each, undoing protections established by former presidents on public lands that are sacred among many Native Americans. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 14 July 2026

The back-and-forth underscores how national monuments have become a flashpoint over the management of public lands. — ABC News, 13 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for public land

• ampersand
• beforehand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand
• hinterland
• motherland

Legal Definition

public land

noun

: land owned by a government