public works

plural noun

|Updated on: 18 Jul 2018

Definition of public works

: works (such as schools, highways, docks) constructed for public use or enjoyment especially when financed and owned by the government

Recent Examples of public works from the Web

There, some 30 municipalities work together to obtain a wide range of public works and construction services at a lower cost to individual governments.

— gregory tejeda, Daily Southtown, "Oak Forest to spend $20K more on sidewalk repairs this summer," 13 July 2018
Chris Phipps, public works director, said The American Society of Civil Engineers has given Anne Arundel a D. Schuh, a Republican seeking re-election in November, has made road maintenance one of the cornerstones of his campaign.

— elisha sauers, baltimoresun.com, "County Executive Schuh touts $4 million boost for filling potholes and paving roads in Anne Arundel," 12 July 2018
Harry, 33, has put the benefits of sports at the heart of his public work.

— simon perry, PEOPLE.com, "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Kick Off Another Magical Day in Ireland!," 11 July 2018
Erin Jones, a spokeswoman for the city's public works department, said a sanitary sewer line broke and caused the dirt and street to cave in.

— julian gill, Houston Chronicle, "Sewage leaks likely a factor in Houston sinkholes, expert says," 10 July 2018
The contract is up for approval next week after passing through the board’s public works and transportation committee.

— dan moran, Lake County News-Sun, "Moran: Lake County looks to rejuvenate pavement before wear-and-tear sets in," 6 July 2018
According to Michael Gantick, the town’s director of public works, South Windsor recycles about 2,500 tons a year, including plastics, glass, metal and paper, and receives about $30,000 for from selling those.

— peter marteka, Courant Community, "South Windsor Considering Separating Glass From Its Recycling Stream," 6 July 2018
As the Fourth of July is a national holiday, many of the city’s various departments, from public works to parks and recreation, are off.

— katie v. jones, Howard County Times, "All of the fun of the Fourth on July 7," 3 July 2018
The council approved a Year Three contract renewal valued at $6 million for public works/facilities services for the 2019 fiscal year, a 12.2 percent increase over FY 2018.

— david ibata, ajc, "Sandy Springs OKs $7.6M in service contracts," 28 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'public works.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.