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.
One of the best places to explore them without the crowds is Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument—a 1-million-acre expanse of public lands that ranges from low-lying desert to coniferous forest. Maggie Fuller, AFAR Media, 23 Apr. 2025 This comes as President Trump works to revive the flagging industry through executive actions that seek to expand mining, pave the way for coal leases on public land and temporarily allow aging plants to comply with less-stringent air-pollution rules, among other steps. Jeremy Cox, Baltimore Sun, 23 Apr. 2025 The Sierra Club had sued the Secretary of the Interior to prevent the Walt Disney Company from building a ski resort on public land in Mineral King Valley, California. India Nye Wenner, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2025 Congress passed the Illinois Enabling Act, which provided for the organization of a state government, fixed the northern boundary of Illinois and established a permanent school fund from a portion of the proceeds from the sale of public lands. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Public land.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20land. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Legal Definition

public land

noun
: land owned by a government
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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