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
2
: 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
… using legal action to cow an opponent into silence, and withdrawal from the public square.Mark Steyn

Examples of public square in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nationally, millions of protesters clogged streets and public squares in major cities and tiny towns from New York City to Boston, Chicago and San Diego. Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2025 There has been some sort of Christmas market in Madrid’s main public square, Plaza Mayor, since the 17th century. Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 18 Oct. 2025 As leaders of the presidential panel and current Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé met inside Thursday, automatic gunfire could be heard on the Champ-de-Mars, the sprawling public square bordering the palace grounds. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025 Five years ago, as demonstrators streamed into public squares to protest the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, many institutions — from public school districts to the State Board of Education — promoted and committed to equity in schools. Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for public square

Word History

First Known Use

1757, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of public square was in 1757

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Public square.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public%20square. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!