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.
The Interior Department’s emergency permitting procedures and the House bill are assaults the federal government has waged on public lands since January. Barbara Vasquez, Denver Post, 28 May 2025 Risk to visitors, public lands and economic vitality National parks in particular, and public lands in general, are among the most popular functions of the federal government, polls show. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 23 May 2025 Officials at the Interior Department, which oversees public lands and many agencies involving Native Americans, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jack Healy, New York Times, 22 May 2025 In a last-minute add, Republicans also included a provision authorizing sales of hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands in Nevada and Utah, prompting outrage from Democrats and environmentalists. Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Legal Definition

public land

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