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
Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Chesterton High School’s building trades students have worked on several public project sites over the years.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
As the fate of HCMC remains in lawmakers' hands, one patient has decided to make his private story public.
—Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield, CBS News, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for public
Adjective
The fighting is so fierce that Google even funded a city’s lawsuit against a local newspaper that tried to obtain water-usage figures through a public records request, arguing the data was a trade secret.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 May 2026
Chesterton High School’s building trades students have worked on several public project sites over the years.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Noun
Still, the American public should not panic, HHS official said.
—Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
As the fate of HCMC remains in lawmakers' hands, one patient has decided to make his private story public.
—Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield, CBS News, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for public
Recent Examples of Synonyms for public
Adjective
-
Under the revision, the Recreation Center would stay open 40 hours a week, a reduction from 60 hours.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
That assessment didn’t mention Taiwan directly, but, in relation to Iran, said both sides had agreed that the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for oil and natural gas, must remain open.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Along with Harris, Javonte Green and Kevin Huerter will also be unrestricted free agents.—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
The club made the somewhat unusual decision to place an unrestricted-free-agent tender on Rodgers, a paperwork move that gave the Steelers a bit of protection should Rodgers have opted to sign with another team before training camp opened in late July.—
Will Graves,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
In her return to Los Angeles after winning a national championship with UCLA this spring, Tempo rookie Kiki Rice netted 11 points.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2026
-
Kyiv officials announced a day of mourning on Friday to honor the victims, with national flags at half-mast across the city of three million people.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Fields pairs highly adaptable facilities with expert, hands-on production support — a combination that general manager RoseMary Prodonovich says is designed to fuel creative endeavors.—
Kathy A. McDonald,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
Husband is a genuinely excellent partner and a kind, funny, good person in general.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
The collective ire of the group spilled over.—
Amber Gaudet,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
-
Astrid Suarez, director of collective impact at Niles Township’s Early Childhood Alliance, a nonprofit that provides early literacy opportunities to families, said Chamber events like this are what inspires organizations like hers to keep going.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Imagine an alternate world in which Nixon had instead been free to destroy those records.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
There’s a world where that actually helps reduce pressure and expectations on the filmmakers, which is often the challenge with indies.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
People Acting Like Others When the TV series Star Trek initially gained popularity, a segment of the populace admired the tenor and nature of the Spock character.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Assayas portrays the Russian populace as merely manipulated, as if voters were blank slates for effective propaganda rather than people with moral compasses, capacities for judgment and humanity, ideas and opinions that demagogues recognize and stoke.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
In separate filings, both media outlets raised questions as to the validity of the NFL’s broadcast antitrust exemption, a provision established under the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Cuba’s government displayed on the broadcast nautical maps to show where the Pro-Line was spotted, its route through Cuban waters and the location where the shooting occurred.—
David Smiley,
Miami Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Public.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/public. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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