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public works
plural noun
: works (such as schools, highways, docks) constructed for public use or enjoyment especially when financed and owned by the government
Examples of public works in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The site, located at the city’s public works building, will be open Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to noon until Nov. 15, according to the city’s website.
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Noah Mitchell, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
The award is for excellence in the management, administration and implementation of a public works project, according to an Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce website post.
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Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Large public works like wider streets and new parks are hard to insert into neighborhoods that are already full of hundreds of buildings and building owners.
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Emily Badger, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
The reservoir had been choked with cyanobacteria, leading to public health advisories that warned people not to touch or swim in the water and putting financial stress on the local public works department.
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Diana Kruzman, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Jan. 2025
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Word History
First Known Use
1600, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near public works
Cite this Entry
“Public works.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20works. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
public works
plural noun
: works (as schools, highways, or docks) constructed with public funds for public use
More from Merriam-Webster on public works
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about public works
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