general public

American  

[jen-er-uhl puhb-lik] / ˈdʒɛn ər əl ˈpʌb lɪk /

Also the general public

noun

1. all or most people, especially those not part of a specified group; ordinary people as opposed to officials, experts, politicians, etc..

   The books have been warmly received by critics and by the general public.

   This protocol can be adopted by any organization wishing to improve workplace health and safety for employees, customers, and the general public.

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Etymology

Origin of general public

First recorded in 1845–50

Example Sentences

The sport gained popularity throughout the early 2010s largely thanks to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which quickly eclipsed other promotions until, for the general public, UFC and MMA became synonymous.

From Slate • Jun. 14, 2026

"To be honest we've been blown away and overwhelmed at the outpour of support from the music industry, from our fans, from the general public," says Nash.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

Anthropic is releasing a next-generation “Mythos-class” model to the general public with guardrails that remove dangerous capabilities related to areas such as cybersecurity and biological research.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Rep. Christian Menefee, argued that blockchain technology can increase trust and transparency among the general public.

From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026

In Gey’s one appearance on television, he didn’t mention Henrietta or her cells by name, so the general public knew nothing of HeLa.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Related Words

• association
• center
• company
• district
• nation
• neighborhood
• people
• public
• society
• state