public

1 of 2

adjective

pub·​lic ˈpə-blik How to pronounce public (audio)
1
a
: exposed to general view : open
2
a
: of, relating to, or affecting all the people or the whole area of a nation or state
public law
b
: of or relating to a government
c
: of, relating to, or being in the service of the community or nation
3
a
: of or relating to people in general : universal
b
: of, by, for, or directed to the public (see public entry 2 sense 2) : popular
in the public eye
a campaign to raise public awareness of the issue
He's certainly aware that public opinion has soured on him this year …Bryan Rolli
4
: of or relating to business or community interests as opposed to private affairs : social
5
: devoted to the general or national welfare : humanitarian
6
a
: accessible to or shared by all members of the community
b
: capitalized in shares that can be freely traded on the open market
often used with go
7
: supported by public funds and private contributions rather than by income from commercials
public radio
public television
publicness noun

public

2 of 2

noun

plural publics
1
: a place accessible or visible to the public
usually used in the phrase in public
2
: the people as a whole : populace
3
: a group of people having common interests or characteristics
specifically : the group at which a particular activity or enterprise aims

Examples of public in a Sentence

Adjective Public outrage over the scandal eventually forced him to resign. The ads are intended to increase public awareness of the risks of smoking. She was elected to a public office. He was in Congress for many years but he recently retired from public life. They decided on a nearby restaurant as a convenient public place to meet. The government has allowed public access to the documents. The city council is holding a public meeting. This will be her first public performance in five years. Her trial will be public. Noun 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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
How the lawsuits say the complaints were handled The lawsuit says the city failed to turn over public records regarding the discipline and investigations into the men. Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 13 Mar. 2024 And in October, Rodgers made public his choice for president. Journal Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2024 Some candidates may not really be qualified or worthy of public trust. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 The anonymous British artist chooses public spaces for his guerrilla work, and inadvertently created a paradox: His works can sell for millions, and people have been caught trying to get them off public walls to take to auction houses. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 The need to make sure one’s public persona is just so. Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 And Russia is now a postmodern autocracy that can brandish Putin’s still sky-high approval ratings (however skewed) and his inevitable re-election (however undemocratic) as a sign of legitimacy and unquestionable public support for the war. Nathan Hodge, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 This public debut comes six months after the pair tied the knot in Cape Cod in September 2023, which Evans confirmed a month later by showing up to New York Comic Con with a ring on his finger. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024 Students couldn’t begin to complete their forms until the last weekend of December, said Karen McCarthy, the vice president for public and federal relations of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
So far, the royal family’s attempts to address the concerns of a curious public have backfired and led to even more speculation. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024 In recent decades, the Irish public has made a series of significant changes that rolled back socially conservative policies. Megan Specia, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Since nobody can keep the great public busy, there have to be these rumor clinics and campaigns. Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 Short-sellers — some public, like Bill Ackman, but most clandestine — often employ a shared strategy, both cynical and potentially effective. Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 The Israeli public must be presented with a stark choice: a detailed regional plan with credible American guarantees or Netanyahu’s defiant isolation; Gantz and Eisenkot would thus gain cover for diplomatic realism beyond simple military deterrence. Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2024 The move has overwhelming support from the French public, according to polling, but has faced criticism from right-wing lawmakers. Tara John, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 The president is under no legal obligation to undertake a physical examination, much less release the results to the American public, Balcerski said. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 That said, experts are still torn on the benefits of administering the same vaccine more than once a year—especially to a public that’s largely unwilling to get it. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'public.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English publique, from Anglo-French, from Latin publicus; akin to Latin populus people

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of public was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near public

Cite this Entry

“Public.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

public

1 of 2 adjective
pub·​lic ˈpəb-lik How to pronounce public (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, belonging to, or affecting all the people
public law
b
: provided by the government
public education
c
: relating to or engaged in the service of the community or nation
public life
2
: of or relating to community interests as opposed to private affairs
a radio program in the public interest
3
: devoted to the general welfare
needed leaders with public spirit
4
: open to or shared by all
a public meeting
the public library
5
a
: generally known
the story became public
b
: well-known
a public figure
6
: supported by income from public funds and private contributions rather than by commercials
public television
publicly adverb

public

2 of 2 noun
1
: a place open or visible to people
seen in public
2
: the people as a whole
a lecture open to the public
3
: a particular group of people
a writer's public
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English publique "relating to the people as a whole, public," from early French publique (same meaning), from Latin publicus "belonging to the people as a whole," from populus "the people" — related to popular, republic

Legal Definition

public

1 of 2 adjective
pub·​lic
1
a
: exposed to general view
public indecency
b
: known or recognized by many or most people
2
a
: of, relating to, or affecting all of the people or the whole area of a nation or state
public statutes
b
: of or relating to a government : authorized by, administered by, or acting for the people as a political entity
public expenditures
the public prosecutor
c
: of, relating to, or being in the service of the community or nation
holding public office
d
: provided for, used by, or containing the records of a government agency
the post office and other public buildings
3
: of or relating to people in general
4
: of or relating to business or community interests as opposed to private affairs
public policy
5
: devoted to the general or national welfare
6
: accessible to or shared by all members of the community
a public hearing
compare private
7
: capitalized in shares that can be freely traded on the open market
often used with go
publicly adverb

public

2 of 2 noun
1
: a place accessible or visible to the public
usually used in the phrase in public
2
: the people as a whole

More from Merriam-Webster on public

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