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 fund was created by Congress in 1964 to safeguard natural areas and public lands, and often works to acquire lands to add to national parks. — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 The Florida Wildlife Corridor, an 18-million-acre network of public lands, presents an ongoing land conservation effort to expand critical habitat for the Florida panther. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026 But couldn’t the logging industry be invited onto public lands to do some of this work and save taxpayers money? — Megan Schrader, Denver Post, 27 Aug. 2026 These are public lands that are owned by all of us as a birthright. — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for public land

See All Rhymes for public land

Browse Nearby Words

public knowledge
public land
public law
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Public land.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20land. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Legal Definition

public land

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