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.
Hudbay’s original plan was a stretch of a law that generally favors mineral production on public lands, said Heidi McIntosh, an attorney with the nonprofit environmental law firm Earthjustice who argued and won on the tribes’ behalf. Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 19 Dec. 2024 About an hour east of here, miles of flat, black solar panels and bulky white battery storage facilities sprout alongside the Interstate 10 freeway, and more could be coming on public lands here and across the West. Janet Wilson, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024 Huffman will lead House Democrats' opposition to the Trump administration's public lands policy and become a top voice in the permitting debate. Nick Sobczyk, Axios, 17 Dec. 2024 About 90 percent of the Appalachian Trail and PCT are located on public land. Mary Andino, Outside Online, 7 Dec. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near public land

Cite this Entry

“Public land.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20land. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Legal Definition

public land

noun
: land owned by a government
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!