the public
noun
: the people of a country, state, etc.
the American public
The beach is open to the public.
The general public is in favor of the law.
Members of the public called for the mayor's resignation.
Examples of the public in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chicago police are asking for the public's help in identifying a suspect who stabbed another man during a fight on a CTA Blue Line train earlier this month.
—
Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 15 June 2026
As recently as February 2026 and May 2025, the public Santa Clara County’s health department has warned about potential exposure to measles after people with the virus passed through public places.
—Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Brooklyn’s Berry Street Houses, the public housing complex where Alvarado grew up, should rename the place after him, at least for a day.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 14 June 2026
In the dining room’s previous lives—say, as Flora Bar, in the Met days—lunch might be followed by a wander upstairs to see a collection of Munch or Celmins paintings, and diners at Marcel can similarly tour certain Sotheby’s floors that are open to the public.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
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Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 15 June 2026
As recently as February 2026 and May 2025, the public Santa Clara County’s health department has warned about potential exposure to measles after people with the virus passed through public places.
—Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Brooklyn’s Berry Street Houses, the public housing complex where Alvarado grew up, should rename the place after him, at least for a day.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 14 June 2026
In the dining room’s previous lives—say, as Flora Bar, in the Met days—lunch might be followed by a wander upstairs to see a collection of Munch or Celmins paintings, and diners at Marcel can similarly tour certain Sotheby’s floors that are open to the public.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 14 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for the public
Cite this Entry
“The public.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20public. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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