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.
Reconcile the budget, be heroes to the people and go home proudly having stood up for public lands. Joe Murphy, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026 In January 2026, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released plans to open up parts of Southern California, including public land adjacent to national and state parks, protected coastlines, and waterways. Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 20 Mar. 2026 The solution, a public lands access group has proposed an ambitious plan to build eight massive desalination plants off the California coastline, turning ocean water into freshwater for farming and reducing demand on the ailing Colorado River. Dana Taylor, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026 Cal Fire manages these public lands, which span 85,000 acres and 10 counties. Evan Mills, Mercury News, 15 Mar. 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 31 Mar. 2026.

Legal Definition

public land

noun
: land owned by a government
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