public enterprise

noun
1.
economic activity by governmental organizations Compare private enterprise (sense 1)
Contemporary definitions for public enterprise
noun

any activity done in public

Examples

Celebrities conduct their private lives as public enterprise.

Word Origin

1643

noun

any economic activity carried out by the government; also, a business or industry controlled by the government

Examples

Utilities (gas, electricity, etc.), broadcasting, telecommunications, and certain forms of transport are examples of public enterprise.

Word Origin

1849

Encyclopedia Article for public enterprise

public ownership

a business organization wholly or partly owned by the state and controlled through a public authority. Some public enterprises are placed under public ownership because, for social reasons, it is thought the service or product should be provided by a state monopoly. Utilities (gas, electricity, etc.), broadcasting, telecommunications, and certain forms of transport are examples of this kind of public enterprise.

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