public utility

NOUN

government-run public service

Synonyms

WEAK

communications company electric company telephone company water company

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The company is working with the Tennessee Valley Authority, a public utility known as the TVA, on that project.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

The model now providing depoliticized ATC in nearly 100 countries is an aviation public utility, funded entirely by system fees and charges.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025

More recently, the public utility said it couldn’t provide a price tag, and that, although possible, undergrounding transmission lines is rare, complex and expensive.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

Burien chose land owned by Seattle City Light, Seattle’s public utility for electricity.

From Seattle Times • May 20, 2024

Reprint of periodical articles, unless forbidden, and extracts from books "in case of urgency or to the end of public utility," may be made on acknowledgment of the source.

From Copyright: Its History and Its Law by Bowker, Richard Rogers