Nationalised companies are private sector businesses bought in part or in full by the government.

• A. Private sector businesses bought in part or in full by the government
• B. Private sector businesses sold to the private sector
• C. Public sector organisations sold to the private sector
• D. Not-for-profit charities owned by the state

Answer: (A)

Nationalisation means the government takes ownership of a business that was in the private sector. The statement matches this idea by describing a private sector business that is bought by the government, either partly or fully, and becomes government-owned. This is the opposite of privatisation, where state-owned enterprises are sold to private buyers. The other descriptions describe selling public or private organisations to the private sector, or a state-owned entity that’s a not-for-profit charity, which do not capture the concept of private-to-government ownership that nationalisation involves. So the description of a private sector business being bought by the government is the correct fit.