public utility

noun

: a business organization (such as an electric company) performing a public service and subject to special governmental regulation

Examples of public utility in a Sentence

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.
New Jersey residents got some bad news earlier this year when the state's public utilities board warned that their electricity bills could surge up to 20% starting on June 1. Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 16 June 2025 Voters will also elect the next Unified Government mayor/CEO, county sheriff, respective school board members, public utility board members and more. Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2025 Secret agreements Our research, reviewing nearly 50 public utility commission proceedings about data centers’ power needs across 10 states, uncovered dozens of secretive contracts between utilities and data centers. Eliza Martin, The Conversation, 5 June 2025 Khan’s paper had argued that, given Amazon’s ubiquity in American life, the company should either be subject to strong antitrust enforcement or be regulated like a public utility. Clare Malone, New Yorker, 12 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for public utility

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of public utility was in 1895

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Cite this Entry

“Public utility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20utility. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

public utility

noun
: a business organization performing a public service and subject to special governmental regulation

Legal Definition

public utility

noun
: a business organization (as an electric company) performing a public service and subject to special government regulation

More from Merriam-Webster on public utility

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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