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
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Recent Examples of public
ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
At the meeting, Commission of Fine Arts Secretary Thomas Luebke said that the vast majority of public comments about the new project were negative, per the Daily Mail.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 16 Feb. 2026
The Iranian public, meanwhile, watches these diplomatic maneuvers in shock.
—Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for public
Adjective
Modi’s remarks came as India — one of the fastest-growing digital markets — seeks to leverage its experience in building large-scale digital public infrastructure and to present itself as a cost-effective hub for AI innovation.
—ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
At the meeting, Commission of Fine Arts Secretary Thomas Luebke said that the vast majority of public comments about the new project were negative, per the Daily Mail.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department emphasized the innocence of the siblings and their spouses in a statement released Monday, pleading with the media and public to leave the beleaguered family alone.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 16 Feb. 2026
The Iranian public, meanwhile, watches these diplomatic maneuvers in shock.
—Pegah Banihashemi, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for public
Recent Examples of Synonyms for public
Adjective
-
Officers smashed open their window with a weapon before pulling them out and restraining them.—
Isabelle Chapman,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
One-touch pass in the neutral zone gave her open ice, nothing to slow down a snipe.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Sharks also have four other defensemen, besides Leddy, who are pending unrestricted free agents and could be traded.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
22 Feb. 2026
-
An undiscussed wrinkle in a potential Chiefs return is that Kelce is due to become an unrestricted free agent.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The national spotlight has attracted trolls from across the country and even overseas, city officials believe.—
Caitlin Hu,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The two Spinosaurus species, which were contemporaneous, shared the same general body plan including long dorsal spines forming the sail-like structure and a skull adapted for hunting fish.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
20 Feb. 2026
-
In person, Melling is naturally curious, freely solicitous of my opinions about the film or book recommendations in general.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The group – which touts itself as a pagan collective that worships Norse gods – also took credit for originally catapulting Springfield onto the national stage by amplifying ugly memes about the Haitians.—
Caitlin Hu,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
There’s plenty of evidence from the past year to support that theory, from the ouster of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, to attacks on Russian shadow fleet vessels by Ukrainian special forces, to the brief Israel-Iran conflict last summer, all of which produced a collective shrug from oil traders.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Trump, he's done things, and then he's continued on with his speech, and then continued on to meet with world leaders.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Heads started to roll in the business world in 2021, when Apollo Global Management CEO Leon Black and Barclays CEO Jes Staley both stepped down because of their ties to Epstein.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The announcers need to study intensely, learning details not only about an athlete, but what a particular sport means to the populace of a country halfway around the world.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
19 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 23 Feb. 2026.
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