public opinion
168
2.4
- noun
- /ˈpʌblɪk əˈpɪnjən/
:
opinión pública
- The Baba declared, "In a democracy, public opinion has to be respected."
- influence public opinion
- shape public opinion
- public opinion poll
Leaders who follow public opinion usually are not good leaders.
- Leaders who follow public opinion usually are not good leaders.
- So it was like public opinion versus one person.
- And what this tells you is the public opinion around the world has shifted against Israel.
- Busby There was an impossibility in trying to change public opinion. There had been too much damage done
- In a democracy, Parliament should reflect public opinion.
- There are millions of humans involved in that venture of trying to manipulate public opinion in various directions.
- I think, you know, until public opinion changes really markedly, they're not going to budget.
- Well, they want to be the arbiters, the gatekeepers of true public opinion.
- And that the centre of gravity of public opinion is still a majority for common sense.
- Do you think Iranian public opinion is open regardless of what regime is in place?
- And I think the thing I'd say is American democracy is not very responsive to public opinion.
- If we take the United States just as a point of comparison, public opinion doesn't gyrate dramatically.
- And you know, most, you know, democratic governments do have a a sensitivity towards public opinion.
Examples
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Again, the most consistent aspect of American public opinion is inconsistency.
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Public opinion is beginning to swing heavily to this guy.
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And so public opinion turned against that.
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There is still the court of public opinion.
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We went to the streets to find out public opinion.
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I must make you understand, first, the importance of public opinion.
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And what this tells you is the public opinion around the world has shifted against Israel.
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The bridge needed repair: on this much, public opinion in both towns was in agreement.
Fiction book (2000) -
With this increase in euphoric press coverage, we see a subsequent change in public opinion.
Academic text (1999) -
Many politicians adjust their strategies to align with public opinion on key issues.
Synonyms
309
4.1
Agreement among a group of people about an idea or decision
298
1.0
The view that most people in a group have
185
4.0
An opinion people have that is not based on proof
184
1.4
People who share an interest, for example book readers
11
2.9
A belief that most people in a group share
9
4.4
The public's opinion about a person or issue formed outside a legal trial
1
8.9
What most people think about something
1
4.1
What most people think or want about a public issue
Antonyms
How Widespread
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the collective beliefs or views held by most people' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'public' (people collectively) with 'opinion' (a held view). This straightforward noun-noun composition is cross-linguistically common and follows normal English compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Public opinion comes from the simple image of people gathered in a public square and speaking their minds: public is the crowd and opinion is a view. That's why public opinion means 'what most people think'.