public-service corporation
- noun
- /ˈpʌblɪk ˈsɜrvɪs kɔrˈpɔreɪʃən/
- Specialized
:
empresa de servicios públicos
- The local public-service corporation ensures residents have access to clean water and electricity.
Examples
-
A public service company, public service corporation, or railroad exercises the power of eminent domain for public use when such exercise is for the authorized provision of utility, common carrier, or railroad services.
Blog text (14) -
After the storm, the public-service corporation worked quickly to restore power to the affected areas.
-
Citizens rely on their public-service corporation for reliable transportation options throughout the city.
Synonyms
217
3.3
A service that supplies water, gas, or electricity to homes
8
3.2
An organization that provides essential services like water or electricity and is regulated by the government
A company that supplies water, electricity, or gas and is run under government rules
How Large
- Formal
1
6.7
- Specialized
- Specialized
521
3.5
282
2.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
public-service + corporation
The compound is fully compositional: 'public-service' denotes services provided for the public and 'corporation' denotes a company or legal entity, so a B1 learner who knows those constituents can infer a company that provides public services. This follows normal English compounding and has clear cross-linguistic parallels, so the meaning is immediately derivable rather than idiomatic.
Etymology
The term public-service corporation comes from the idea of a corporation as a company that gives a service to the public, such as running water or buses for everyone. Because it serves everyone, the government watches it and sets rules, so the phrase means 'a company that provides needed public services and must follow government rules'.