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public

public

∞ 1.0
People in general, not a small private group
  • noun
  • /ˈpʌblɪk/
: público
  • Business leaders, government officials, school administrators, and the public all called for an improved education system.
  • the general public
  • inform the public
  • educate the public

And, and then the public at large also counts.

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Examples

  • The American public is divided on the Dreyfus Act.

  • And a nationwide educational campaign to alert the public to the dangers of shaking was launched.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Maybe you knew what the public finally found out.

  • And we told him the public will not understand this.

  • And how much information does the public have a right to know?

  • Trust has been lost and the public will not forgive or forget.

  • But this has made us all more aware that the public is watching us more closely.

    Academic text (2011)
  • In order to be climate change literate, the public must first be media literate.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Three months on since the last great flood, the public is advised to take refuge at their local shelter, but aid workers say vital supplies are not reaching those most in need.

  • The artist held a free exhibition to showcase his work to the public.

Synonyms

world
vspublic
∞ 1.0

All the people who live on Earth

is narrower, meaning ordinary people as a general group rather than everyone
masses
vspublic
144 2.3

Ordinary people in a society who are not rich or powerful

refers to ordinary people generally without political contrast
populace
vspublic
50 5.7

People who live in a country or area

is broader, meaning ordinary people in general rather than area specific
common people
vspublic
20 1.3

People who are not rich or powerful

covers ordinary people generally, not only by class exclusion
publicum
vspublic
  • Archaic
1 9.9

The people of a community as a whole

is the neutral everyday term rather than classical or legal

Idioms

404 1.0

Other people can see or hear you

Seen and talked about by many people

To talk about private, embarrassing things in front of other people

Compounds

420 1.0

A school that is free to attend and paid for by local taxes

public health
  • Specialized
182 2.8

The health of a community that government and hospitals watch and support

public law
  • Specialized
173 4.6

Rules about how the government deals with people and society

165 2.4

The views most people in a society have about an issue

Work to help a company or person look good to the public

Help the government gives to people, like schools or hospitals

public record
  • Formal
68 3.0

An official document a government must keep and let people read

A place where anyone can borrow books and use services for free

59 3.8

A lawyer who represents people who cannot pay for one in criminal cases

58 1.4

Services like buses or trains that anyone can use in a city, usually for a small fee

public office
  • Formal
53 3.2

A government job with power and duty to serve the people

Work for the government to help people

53 4.0

Being watched or noticed by many people

50 3.5

A person who is well known to many people, for example a celebrity or politician

A person who works for the government, elected or appointed

43 2.5

Protection for people from crime and danger in public places

41 2.2

Homes the government owns and runs for people with low incomes

38 2.4

Roads, schools, and bridges that the government builds and keeps for people to use

public domain
  • Specialized
30 3.7

Things anyone can use or copy for free

Property owned by the government that people can use

A survey that asks a group of people who represent the public about their views on an issue

20 4.4

The public's opinion about a person or issue formed outside a legal trial

19 1.9

A system of buses and trains that people use to travel

To speak to a group of people to inform, persuade, or entertain

18 2.5

Money the government gives to people who need help to pay basic living costs

public utility
  • Specialized
18 3.2

An organization that provides essential services like water or electricity and is regulated by the government

Facts that anyone can find out

15 4.1

A government official who brings criminal charges in court for the state

public debate
  • Literature
15 3.0

A discussion among many people and the media about an issue in newspapers, TV, and online

public trust
  • Formal
13 4.9

A legal plan that holds money and property to help many people, for example a school or museum

public debt
  • Specialized
13 3.9

All the money a government has borrowed

public debate
  • Formal
12 3.6

A formal event where people argue for or against a proposal and then vote

An open talk where many people share views about things that affect everyone

11 1.0

A toilet people can use in public places like parks or stations

A person who gives speeches to an audience in public

public square
  • Texting
9 4.0

An online place where people meet to discuss public issues and share ideas

9 1.0

A room with toilets and sinks that anyone can use in public places

7 5.3

The first time a company sells shares to the public on the stock market

7 5.7

Something that harms or annoys many people in an area

A matter that affects many people in a community

An official who watches people sign documents, checks the signatures, and confirms they are valid for legal use

An open area in a town or city where people meet and events happen

5 1.4

A day when offices and shops are closed by law for most people

5 4.1

Money that the government keeps and the office that holds and pays it

A planned set of actions to make people view a company or person more positively

Making something known to many people so they can see or talk about it

4 6.4

Being naked where other people can see you

Someone who manages how an organization looks to the public and talks to the media

A system with microphones and speakers that makes announcements loud in public places

An ordinary person who represents the public

3 3.9

An accountant who passed exams and got a state license to work professionally in the United States

A scholar or writer who shares ideas and arguments with the public

3 2.0

A building where people drink alcohol and eat simple meals

An organized service of buses or trains that people use to travel

A talk on a subject that anyone can attend

2 3.4

A group that mainly gets money from many people to help others

Joe Public
  • Literature
2 6.3

A typical person who represents what most people think

A person who manages how people see a company and talks to the press

1 3.8

Authorities protect people in public places to stop crime and disorder

1 2.9

A company that supplies water, electricity, or gas and is run under government rules

public press
  • Literature
1 3.2

Newspapers and magazines that gather and publish news for the public

Violent acts by a crowd in a public place that cause disorder

public easement
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A right that lets everyone use land as a street or path

1 5.7

A private secondary school in Britain attended by children from wealthy families

A legal promise that a person charged with a crime gets a quick, public court hearing by a jury

A toilet in a public place that anyone can use

A university degree for people who lead public health programs and make health policy

A well-known person who writes or speaks about important public issues

A large amount of attention and worry from many people about an event or issue

A toilet in a public place that anyone can use

1 9.0

An official who carries out death sentences in front of people

public property
  • Specialized
1 4.3

Data in a class that other code can read or change

1 4.4

A company that provides essential services like water or electricity and must follow government rules

How Many

mass
11 3.0
multitude
4 5.6
public
∞ 1.0
community
∞ 2.8
household
505 1.0
individual
∞ 2.3

Surface Forms

public singular
publics plural

Etymology

Public comes from an old Latin root popul-, meaning 'people', and you can see the same root in population. So as a noun public means 'the people in general'.