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
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Recent Examples of public
Charna Flam, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
They are reportedly charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure, and criminal trespass, according to Reuters, with a court date yet to be established.
—Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2025
Scott White, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
The loss of their presence also means the loss of irreplaceable expertise, knowledge and skills that have benefited the entire American public.
—Juliana Stratton, Chicago Tribune, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for public
Adjective
Shortly after Trigg’s death, Emilie filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, May 27, requesting to block records about Trigg's death from public view.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
They are reportedly charged with disorderly conduct, public indecency/indecent exposure, and criminal trespass, according to Reuters, with a court date yet to be established.
—Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2025
Noun
Completion Gaps: At community colleges (serving 41% of undergraduates), 6-year completion rates are 46% vs. 75% at 4-year publics.
—Scott White, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
The loss of their presence also means the loss of irreplaceable expertise, knowledge and skills that have benefited the entire American public.
—Juliana Stratton, Chicago Tribune, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for public
Recent Examples of Synonyms for public
Adjective
-
Strickland wants to see the Corps use more of the dredge material for coastal restoration projects, or take it offshore to the open Gulf, as was the practice between 1986 and 2014.—
Debbie Elliott,
NPR,
12 Aug. 2025
-
As open models, microservices and sovereign AI initiatives proliferate, enterprises and research institutions need access to infrastructure that rivals cloud-scale performance—without the cloud-scale overhead.—
Sven Oehme,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The defender is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026, and another major injury would likely lead the team to move on.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Aug. 2025
-
Phillips is due to earn $13.3 million this season and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The big picture By securing ports of entry, experts say, CBP elevates national security and economic prosperity.—
Adam Stone,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
-
The policy is nearly identical to a policy that previously passed in Rutherford County, but was quickly rescinded following national pushback and the threat of lawsuits.—
Angele Latham,
Nashville Tennessean,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Airport officials believed the city was moving money, which according to state law should be dedicated to paying off the bonds, to the city's general fund and then using it for purposes other than paying off the bonds.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Aug. 2025
-
In 2022, general manager Jon Robinson traded Brown, an All-Pro, to Philadelphia and didn’t adequately replace him.—
Dianna Russini,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Entering the weekend, Colorado starters had a collective 6.58 ERA with a .317 batting average against.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
16 Aug. 2025
-
The lines are credited to Scalzi and were posted, atop different pictures of him, to two Facebook communities boasting almost 1 million collective members.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In this world upended, the creative minds of Western diplomacy have concluded that the best way forward is to revert to the Oslo peace process of 30 years ago.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
14 Aug. 2025
-
The two world leaders will meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There’s a practical benefit to this, along with the synthetics’ super-strength; a story about aliens let loose on a vulnerable human populace would likely have to be a short one.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
5 Aug. 2025
-
The broader populace is still seeing pay gains outpace inflation (although to a lesser extent than recent years).—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Above all, broadcast hero stories internally; behavior follows narrative.—
Jim Stevenson,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
-
Of course, with a broadcast social network like X, everyone is both a patron and an owner of sorts.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Public.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/public. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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