Definition of public works
: works (such as schools, highways, docks) constructed for public use or enjoyment especially when financed and owned by the government
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Recent Examples of public works from the Web
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Whitmore listed safety — and the necessary training public works crews undergo — as the city's largest concern for civilians doing the work.
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Gaylor and the city's public works staff began cataloging graves at the site.
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Municipalities often have a very limited IT budget, preferring to channel funds into meeting immediate needs and completing public works projects rather than cyberdefense.
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For reasons unknown, Memphis public works employees cut down the bushes and destroyed a possible crime scene the very next morning.
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The Playa Restoration team stays to help the department of public works comb the desert for anything left behind and restore it to its pre-Burning Man condition.
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Ken Schroth, city public works director, said one of the main reasons for the Water Street Mall renovations is that the pavement is uneven along the length of the mall, and there are a number of different pavement types.
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Mequon Public Market is being created by renovating a former city public works building.
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Baltimore public works officials have gotten approval from the city finance department to use the funding mechanism, Brogden said, but will still have to get individual contracts approved by the finance board.
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.
First Known Use of public works
1600
PUBLIC WORKS Defined for English Language Learners
public works
Definition of public works for English Language Learners
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: buildings and structures (such as schools, highways, and docks) that are built and owned by a government
Learn More about public works
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about public works
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