1
as in open
not known by only a select few
the mayor's plans to retire have been public knowledge for some time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unrestricted
freely available for use or participation by all
a public swimming pool
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in national
of or relating to a nation
a trade agreement in the public interest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in general
held by or applicable to a majority of the people
public sentiment was against the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in collective
used or done by a number of people as a group
public transportation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in populace
the body of the community as contrasted with the elite
the highbrows have always disdained his novels, but the public just eats them up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of public
N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 13 Mar. 2026
Afeela is entering the market at a time when federal support for EVs is low and public enthusiasm is faltering.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026
And since most participants were health care professionals, the findings may not fully apply to the broader public, where more extreme dietary patterns may be common.
—Brian Mastroianni, Health, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for public
Adjective
Old Dominion, located in Norfolk, Virginia, is a public university with about 24,000 students.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 13 Mar. 2026
Afeela is entering the market at a time when federal support for EVs is low and public enthusiasm is faltering.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
Bill Ackman filed today to take his investment firm public.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 10 Mar. 2026
And since most participants were health care professionals, the findings may not fully apply to the broader public, where more extreme dietary patterns may be common.
—Brian Mastroianni, Health, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for public
Recent Examples of Synonyms for public
Adjective
-
The United States has pledged to keep the strait open and has led intense airstrikes targeting Iran's navy and the port city of Bandar Abbas.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The park will be open Wednesday through Sunday from sunrise to sunset.—
Jane Horowitz,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Raiders have 13 of their own unrestricted free agents still on the market as of Friday afternoon.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Now, 25 years later, the next generation of students have turned to AI—and education experts warn unrestricted use of the technology could atrophy critical thinking skills.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Its legal team includes the former solicitor general of California, who has argued multiple cases before the Supreme Court, as well as the top national-security lawyer in Biden’s White House—who, incidentally, has a doctorate in war studies.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Coalitions of national and local news organizations, including The Associated Press, have been fighting to preserve media access in the case.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Geopolitics aside, this news is a huge deal for the BCIs in general.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Vaughn Hardenberg Westwood The Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman gets all the attention and accolades as being one of the smartest and most successful general managers in sports, and deservedly so.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Finally, the defanging of the Iranian menace would also significantly augment the collective strength and abilities of the West with respect to China, which relies heavily on Iranian oil.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Whether out of arrogance, capriciousness, or collective amnesia, this recent history was ignored.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The issue reflects continuing shifts across the culinary world.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
12 Mar. 2026
-
In a different world, the A’s would have executed this strategy with their players in Oakland.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The seeming absoluteness of scientific thinking may predispose many medical practitioners or public health workers to assume the populace trust them, that evidential claims naturally validate interventions — no further Q&A needed.—
Cory Anderson,
STAT,
6 Mar. 2026
-
That combination makes for a happy society and ensures a populace that drives a productive economy for years to come.—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
An impressive 86 Grammys will be handed out pre-broadcast.—
Maria Sherman,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Framed as a broadcast true crime documentary made after Salazar’s trial, this brilliant lo-fi effort enlists several more talking heads to balance out the whodunnit.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Public.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/public. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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