public square
noun
1
: an open public area in a city or town where people gather
St. Mark's Square in Venice is sinking at a time when this Italian city's popularity is rising. The world's most famous public square now floods an average of three out of every five days.—
Tom Crosby
Tom Crosby2
: the sphere of public opinion
In an August 2007 speech, then-New York governor Eliot Spitzer expounded upon Reinhold Niebuhr and the virtues of humility in the public square.—Lisa Miller
Lisa Miller… using legal action to cow an opponent into silence, and withdrawal from the public square.—Mark Steyn
Mark SteynExamples of public square in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Downtown Cincinnati's Fountain Square nabbed the No. 10 spot for best public square.
Selections for USA TODAY's 10Best rankings are nominated by a panel of industry experts, vetted by 10Best editors and then voted on by the public.
—The Enquirer, 17 Apr. 2024
Both conservatives and liberals are convinced their posts are being censored; meanwhile, tech companies are under fire for making unaccountable decisions that affect the global public square.
—Billy Perrigo, TIME, 15 Apr. 2024
After almost two years of planning and delays, Gilroy has begun construction on a project to transform a back alley into a public square for pedestrians.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
The Woodcock Foundation is a funder of Headway’s public square.
—Gaiutra Bahadur Keisha Scarville, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
The street work is to improve safety for bikers, pedestrians and drivers, while Phillips Plaza is a new public square near the Baird Center.
—Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2024
Meanwhile, technology giants, which have allowed for harmful content to gain a foothold in the digital public square, are thriving.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024
And since everyone today communicates online, that's a public square that has to be available to everyone.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2024
Texas solicitor general Aaron Nielson had a similar argument (pdf), but likened social media to a public square.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 27 Feb. 2024
The Enquirer, 17 Apr. 2024
Both conservatives and liberals are convinced their posts are being censored; meanwhile, tech companies are under fire for making unaccountable decisions that affect the global public square.
—Billy Perrigo, TIME, 15 Apr. 2024
After almost two years of planning and delays, Gilroy has begun construction on a project to transform a back alley into a public square for pedestrians.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
The Woodcock Foundation is a funder of Headway’s public square.
—Gaiutra Bahadur Keisha Scarville, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024
The street work is to improve safety for bikers, pedestrians and drivers, while Phillips Plaza is a new public square near the Baird Center.
—Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2024
Meanwhile, technology giants, which have allowed for harmful content to gain a foothold in the digital public square, are thriving.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024
And since everyone today communicates online, that's a public square that has to be available to everyone.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2024
Texas solicitor general Aaron Nielson had a similar argument (pdf), but likened social media to a public square.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 27 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'public square.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near public square
Cite this Entry
“Public square.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20square. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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